Place Your Bets
by J.Day
Summary: AU Faberry/Puckleberry/Brittana/Quinntana friendship only. Quinn Fabray is in her 4th year at Yale when she gets a new acting coach - Miss Rachel Berry. Santana makes Quinn a bet she can't refuse. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Bad Things**

She'd heard about the legend of Rachel Berry. Of course she had, who hadn't? She was a Lima legend and the auditorium in McKinley High had even been renamed as the Rachel Berry Auditorium. She'd managed to escape from the claws of Lima, get the hell out of Ohio, and found her place on the Broadway stages of New York, just like she'd always planned.  
>Quinn Fabray didn't have the fierce ambition and scary determination of Rachel Berry, but she sure as hell didn't want to be a Lima loser the rest of her life like many of her classmates were destined to be.<p>

She knew she was going to get out the day her Yale acceptance letter arrived. Opening the white envelope, a warm feeling circled deep within her and threatened to rise up making her fight back tears. Quinn Fabray refused to cry in front of anyone. From that day on she knew she was headed for New Haven, and she'd never look back.

Her bedroom door swung open, her roommate Santana was standing in the doorway, mouth full of foamy white toothpaste and a red toothbrush and messy unbrushed hair.  
>'<em>Quinn<em>, get your sweet ass outta bed we're gonna be late!' yelled the fiery Latina.  
>Quinn groaned into her pillow, rolling over stretching out her sleep filled arms.<br>'Okay _mom_, keep your panties on.' she mumbled.  
>The Latina scoffed. 'I'm a little worried if that's how you talk to your mom,' she tapped the bottom of Quinn's right foot. 'C'mon, you don't wanna be late for our first day back.'<br>'Huh?' Quinn squinted over her shoulder at the brunette.  
>In response, the brunette pointed at the clock sitting on Quinn's nightstand.<br>She reached over and tilted the face towards her. It read _8.45. _

Quinn jumped up out of bed and ran out of her room towards the bathroom, her socks skidding on the wooden floor while shouting 'Shit, shit, shit!' Santana chuckled watching the flustered blonde nearly collide with the doorframe in the bathroom. Their class was due to begin in 15 minutes.

Running out of the front door of their dorm, Santana threw Quinn an apple and she nodded in appreciation before biting into it. Another blonde caught up with them from behind and wrapped her slender arms around Santana's waist, kissing the back of her neck.  
>'Mmm' Santana groaned. 'Morning Britt.'<br>The blonde behind her gasped. 'How did you know it was me?'  
>Santana took the girl's hand in her right, bringing her to her side. 'Just a sixth sense baby.'<br>'That's a real thing? I thought it was just a creepy Bruce Willis movie...'  
>Santana smiled shaking her head at her girlfriend kissing her lips. Quinn just rolled her eyes with a small smile. She was happy for them that they'd managed to make it work outside of Lima.<br>They reached the auditorium with Brittany still at Santana's side. Quinn looked away while the two played tonsil tennis against the wall next to the double doors into the auditorium. When she looked back they were still at it, so she tried clearing her throat making a loud cough. When that still didn't interrupt them, she took Santana's free hand in her grip and yanked her away, straight into the auditorium.

When they walked in they found a group of about 25 students already sitting down. They sat down in the back row, thinking they had slipped in unnoticed. Quinn placed her bag by her feet, and when she looked back up towards the stage, her jaw dropped.  
>'Ms. Lopez and Ms. Fabray, I presume?' the small brunette on stage asked with a raised eyebrow looking straight at them.<p>

Rachel Barbra Berry. In person.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This is the proper Chapter 2, how it's meant to be - it'll make a lot more sense now! Sorry everyone**

* * *

><p><strong>C<strong>**hapter 2: Feel The Heartbeat In My Mind**

Santana smiled shaking her head at As Quinn looked down, Santana nodded confidently. 'That's right.' she answered simply.  
>The brunette simply nodded.<br>'Welcome to Acting 101.' she announced to the group. 'I'm Rachel Berry, and I'll be your main coach for the course for your final year, replacing Dr. Stein as he has sadly departed on health grounds. However as you already know, you will occasionally be split up with other coaches.'  
>Quinn watched the small brunette walk back and forth across the stage explaining what was to come in the course for the rest of the year, and of course Quinn kept getting distracted.<p>

Her long tousled chocolate hair fell around her small chest against her black blazer that was slightly open revealing a white tank top. Her slightly exposed tanned olive skin had a slight sheen under the bright stage lights. Quinn felt her mouth beginning to dry watching the petite woman that was meant to be her coach. As she spoke she rested her hands in the back pockets of her mid blue jeans, leaning her shoulders back, revealing her chest as she walked. _Was that on purpose? _Quinn wondered. She shook her head. _Of course not! Snap out of it Fabray! _She looked to her right as she felt Santana's eyes on her. Santana's eyebrows furrowed and Quinn simply smiled back, hoping she didn't suspect anything.

She should have known with Santana, she wouldn't be so lucky. As soon as they got out of class, the questions began.  
>Santana smirked. 'I thought you weren't gay...?'<br>Quinn raised a perfectly arched brow. 'I'm not...'  
>Santana scoffed. 'The way you were looking at that little hottie in there says otherwise. Seriously Q, it looked like you wanted to take her down to pussytown.'<br>Quinn shoved her. 'D'you always have to be like that?'  
>Santana laughed and shrugged. 'What? I just speak the truth.' she said raising her head.<br>Quinn blushed slightly. 'It's so not true.'  
>'Try to say that without blushing.' Santana cackled. 'Aww Quinnie's got her first girl crush...'<br>Quinn punched the girl's arm. 'San, shut up!'

She breathed a small sigh of relief when Brittany appeared and linked pinkies with Santana just like they used to back in McKinley. Her relief didn't last long.  
>'How was your thingy?' Brittany asked innocently.<br>'Quinn here,' the brunette emphasised by elbowing Quinn in the ribs. 'has a thing for our new acting coach. _Miss_ Rachel Berry.'  
>Brittany clapped excitedly. 'Yay Quinn!' she squealed. 'So does that mean you're Lebanese like me and S?'<br>Quinn rolled her eyes wishing Santana had never caught her out. Santana chuckled. 'No B, she just wants to taste Berry's berry.'  
>Brittany looked a little confused but Santana had shifted her attention back to a very uncomfortable Quinn.<br>'San!' she squealed. '_Shut_ _up_!' she hissed lowering her face.  
>Santana paused looking at Brittany, and then looked back to Quinn, her eyes twinkling. <em>Oh<em> _no_, _I've_ _seen_ _that_ _look_ _before_. Quinn gulped. 'Okay, I'll shut up...' Santana smirked.  
>'Really?' Quinn's shoulders relaxed.<br>'...If you take this bet...'  
>Quinn rolled her eyes, she should have expected a follow up. She huffed. 'What is it San...'<br>'You're gonna seduce Berry.' she said simply with a completely straight face.  
>'<em>Are you out of your damn MIND?<em>' She squealed higher than she ever had.  
>Santana raised a brow. 'What's the matter Fabray...? You <em>scared<em>...?' she taunted.  
>'No I'm not...'<br>Santana folded her arms. 'What happened to HBIC Quinn? She was a bitch but at least you had balls...'  
>'Hey!'<br>'Or did you leave her behind in Lima too?'  
>She narrowed her hazel eyes at the Latina. 'It's <em>illegal<em> San...'  
>Santana smiled and tapped her chin. 'Actually it's not...'<br>Quinn laughed. 'You looked it up?'  
>Santana shrugged. 'It's just...frowned upon...'<br>Brittany smiled at the other blonde. 'Go on Q...it'll be fun...'  
>'For you two!'<br>Santana nodded with a cocky smile. 'Exactly.'  
>Quinn narrowed her eyes at her again.<br>'Listen Q, it's not illegal. You're 22, meaning you're not a minor and she's god knows how old. Anyway, she's hardly a teacher, she's more like a stand in. Besides,' she shrugged. 'If anything goes down, you're graduating this year anyway, and she'll just skip back off to her Broadway dreamworld. It's no ones loss.'  
>Quinn laughed at her nonchalance. 'This is <em>insane<em>!'  
>Santana scoffed looking her up and down. 'You're such a chicken. I thought you'd still have it in you.' she shrugged again. 'Britts didn't think you'd do it. I'm actually starting to miss the old Q...'<br>'Fine!' the blonde huffed in defeat. 'I'll do it.'  
>A smirk spread across Santana's glossed lips. 'Thatta girl.'<p>

* * *

><p>Quinn opened the door to their dorm. 'What are the conditions?'<br>Santana laughed plonking down on the worn out brown leather couch looking at her. 'I knew the old Q was in there somewhere...'  
>'San...' she huffed.<br>Santana folded her arms and raised her chin in the air. 'You have 6 months to seduce and sleep with Rachel Berry-'  
>'Woah, hold on you never said anything about <em>sleeping<em> with her! I'm not gay San!' she interrupted.  
>Santana gritted her teeth. She really hated it when she was interrupted, and Quinn seemed to have a nasty habit of doing it.<br>'...I'm not finished... Lucy Quinn Fabray, you have 6 months to seduce _and sleep with _one Miss Rachel Berry. If you succeed in your task before graduation in your allotted time, I will pay you $1500 and I will do a lap of campus wearing nothing but a graduates cap...' Both blondes in front of her looked like their eyes were going to pop out.  
>She smirked. '...And if you fail your task...' Quinn's stomach flip-flopped.<br>'...I have to do a lap of the campus naked don't I...'  
>She propped her feet against the makeshift coffee table and chuckled. 'Oh don't think you're getting off so easy Q...'<br>Quinn eyed Santana's dark smirk.  
>'If you fail your mission, you will have to go to the Dean of Yale and confess your failed attempts at fucking a faculty member before stripping off in front of him, then doing your naked lap...'<br>'But won't you get in trouble too if I fail and have to tell him...?'  
>She laughed shaking her head. 'Oh no, Q I won't. Y'know why? Because you'll take full responsibility for this mission and you won't mention Brittany's or my name...'<br>She stood and put her hand on Quinn's shoulder. 'And just in case you try to cheat us, you're going to get proof of your escapade.'  
>'What kind of proof...?'<br>'Berry's panties _and _photographs.'  
>Quinn raised her chin folding her arms. 'When I win, I'm taping you streaking.'<br>Santana raised her eyebrow, amused. 'Do we have a deal, Miss Fabray?' Santana stuck out a perfectly manicured hand.

She looked between Santana and Britt and swallowed. Time to sell her soul for $1500.  
>Quinn took her hand and shook it firmly. 'You have a deal, Satan.'<br>Santana smiled. '6 months, Q...'  
>Quinn laughed. '$1500, S...'<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: I Can Hear You Callin' My Name**

Rachel Berry awoke early to one of her favourite things - the smell of freshly brewed coffee. She reached her arm out to her left smiling, but quickly frowned and opened her eyes when she found nothing but crumpled sheets underneath her touch.  
>She sat bolt upright, her smile returned when another of her favourite things walked into the bedroom wearing nothing but a pair of black boxers, holding a steaming cup of her morning coffee.<br>'Don't move.' he smiled as he sat back onto his side of her spacious double bed. He kissed the tip of her nose handing her the dark purple mug. 'Good morning my little princess. Be careful, it's hot.' he warned, referring to the contents of the mug.  
>She looked down at the mug and smirked raising her brow, before reaching back and putting the mug on her nightstand. She smiled at him. 'The coffee...' she grabbed and tugged lightly on his short Mohawk bringing his face millimetres away from hers. '...Or you...?' she purred.<br>He smirked and ran his teeth along her bottom lip making her shudder. He ran his fingertips lightly down her bare ribs and chuckled. 'I think you take care of that,' he kissed her waiting lips. 'Pretty well.'  
>She wrapped her arms around his neck. 'Oh yeah...?' she smiled into his lips, ready for another touch.<p>

In one quick motion, he grabbed onto her hips through the white sheet draped around her naked body and flushed her down on her back into the matching white pillows making her squeal.  
><em>'Noah!'<br>_He winked above her. 'Yes, babe...?'  
>Before she could answer, his lips went to work gently caressing the skin on her neck. She melted into his touch running her palms over his back and wrapping her toned calves around his hips.<br>'Nevermind...' She hummed.

He smiled into her neck and nipped at the skin making a ripple trickle through her body. She accidentally bucked her hips into his, and then groaned when in response he rolled his hips down into hers, hitting her centre just right.  
>He took his hands off bracing her hips and traced her outer thighs, and pulled her knees apart, releasing his body from hers before pulling himself up away from her. She groaned in disappointment but he simply smiled. He slowly pulled the white sheet away from her warm skin, and replaced it with his mouth, trailing a line with his lips over her collarbone, down over her sternum, stopping briefly to run his tongue in a circle over her right nipple making her back arch at the touch. Her brought his hands back to hold either side of her ribs, keeping her still while he used his teeth to lightly appreciate the hardening bud. She let out a low moan that vibrated against her ribs and he chuckled against her skin, breezing cool air over her moist nipple making her shudder.<p>

She rolled her hips slightly, making it clear what she wanted. He looked up at her face,and she looked absolutely beautiful. Her long wavy dark chocolate locks spread around the pillow as her head was thrown back with her eyes closed, a slight sheen of sweat already forming on her forehead with shallow breaths tumbling from her lips.  
>He continued on, running his tongue down her taught, tanned abs until he got to her hipbones. He paused, his breath tickling her skin, making her squirm in her arousal.<br>'Noah...' she moaned.  
>He licked his lips and looked up, even though her head was still thrown back towards the dark wooden headboard.<br>He chuckled silently. 'Yes baby?' He asked, feigning innocence.  
>She ran her left hand through the tip of his mohawk. 'Noah baby, please...' she whined.<br>He grazed his teeth along her right hipbone making her breath hitch audibly in her throat. 'Yesss...' she hissed.  
>He ran his hands down and pressed his thumbs against her hipbones to keep her still while he nibbled along her pantyline, leaving little marks as he went. <em>Mine <em>he grinned.

He moved his left hand up and placed it over her abs to pin her to the white sheets while he moved his right hand from her ass, down under a toned olive thigh to the back of her knee giving himself more room.  
>She let out a noise that he could only determine as a whine, so he moved lower, and lightly ran the tip of his tongue up the length of her centre.<br>'Ohh yesss Noah_ there_...' she fought against his left hand to move off the bed but he kept her pinned.  
>He smiled at her reaction when he applied more pressure with the flat of his tongue against her core dragging it up towards her clit. He could feel her heels digging into the mattress as she tried not to arch her back as he kept running small circles over and over her clit with the tip of his tongue until she was practically shaking, her chest heaving. She was getting close already, he knew it.<br>'N-Noah...' She stuttered breathlessly. 'P-please...'  
>'Hmm...?' he asked not looking up, so it would vibrate straight through her.<br>'P-please Noah...just...' he flicked his tongue making her knees shake 'oh goddd...p-please just...fuck me!'

He smirked to himself. 'As the lady wishes.' he mumbled before leaking a cool stream of air over her hardened clit and pushing his rigid tongue straight inside of her.  
>'Ohh...<em>NOAH<em>!' She wailed running her nails through his mohican again and again. He'd gotten a fair few insults on his choice of hairstyle, but it never seemed so stupid when it gave the ladies something to grab onto. He pushed his tongue in, then withdrew it leaving only the tip inside of her and repeated himself over and over while she moaned and writhed against the bed in pleasure. Normally he wouldn't repeat himself, but Rachel Berry was a hard woman to please and he knew what she liked. He felt her walls begin to squeeze around him, and he knew it was time for the big finish. So as he slowly withdrew his tongue, he curled it as sharply as he could making her chest rise off the bed as she hurtled to the edge of cliff, ready to tumble down into her impending orgasm.  
>He smiled before withdrawing his tongue slowly, but didn't give her time to make a sound before he bit down hard against her clit and her whole back snapped off the bed and her head whipped upwards trailing her hair down over her back as she screamed unintelligible sounds and then a final '<em>ohh m-gg-ohmygod NOAH<em>!'  
>To help her ride out her fierce orgasm, and apologise to her clit for his rough treatment, he kissed it once lightly before moving back up her limp body.<p>

He looked down at her as she dreamily opened her eyes, revealing those deep dark brown eyes. She raised a hand to stroke the side of his stubbled jaw. 'Oh my god baby...' she sighed breathlessly.  
>'Good?' he smiled.<br>She nodded, her pearly whites on display. 'Always...' she breathed.  
>He placed a single kiss on that addictive pout before an unwelcome buzzing began, making Rachel groan for an entirely different reason. Noah leaned over her to turn off the alarm clock.<br>He smiled down at his sated girlfriend. 'Time to get up baby. You don't wanna be late for class, do you?'  
>She groaned and he pecked her perfect pink lips.<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: The Winds of Change**

Quinn strutted through the double black auditorium doors. Quinn Fabray was no half-timer. If she'd agreed to take part in _Operation Boink Berry_, (Santana came up with the name) then she was going to damn well do it right. Even if that meant bringing back HBIC Quinn Fabray.  
>She was greeted by Santana's grinning face sat down in the same place that they had been sitting for the past week.<br>Santana grinned up at her. 'Sealed the deal already Fabray? Wow, I must say I'm impressed!'  
>Quinn scowled smacking her right foot propped up against the seats in front of them. 'When the doctor did your boobs, are you sure he didn't slip some silicone into your brain too?' she retorted almost like a reflex.<br>The Latina chortled letting the blonde past. 'Touche Fabray.'  
>Quinn managed to settle into her seat without anyone noticing she was the last one in the class every day for the past week and a half.<p>

Rachel Berry inhaled deeply on the other side of the curtain, trying to push the morning's images out of her head. The way Noah's hands had slipped easily down her ribs and..._Stop it Rachel, focus! _She scolded herself, shaking her head. She swallowed trying to refocus, and stepped out from behind the curtain into the bright lights of the Constantin Stanislavski Auditorium.  
>Quinn almost swallowed her tongue. (Although she'd never admit it to Santana.) Rachel Berry stepped out onto the stage wearing round-toed black heels, a deep raspberry pink v-necked jumper that was cut dangerously low, and one of the most form-fitting black pencil skirts she'd ever seen. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she was wearing a thick black headband, her cute-but-sexy bangs still fell over her forehead and she was smiling at the class. <em>Oh...god<em>, Quinn groaned inwardly watching the small brunette. She contemplated quickly praying that she wouldn't have to leave her chair in the darkened audience.

'For today's class,' the brunette announced 'I'm going to need a partner.'  
>Santana's head snapped around like one of those creepy clowns, her eyes matching her almost comically large grin looking straight at Quinn. She adamantly shook her head knowing exactly what she was thinking. Being best friends with Santana Lopez for this long does something to a person.<br>'Do I have a volunteer, or am I just going to have to pick one of you...?' the small woman continued.  
>Not missing a beat, Santana's tanned arm shot into the air pointing her index finger down at Quinn. 'Quinn will help!' Santana called out from the darkness.<br>Rachel Berry shaded her eyes from the stage lights to see her students a little better. She saw a brunette Latina in the back row pointing down to a sour looking blonde sitting next to her. She thought her nomination was a little childish, but beggars can't be choosers really now, can they?  
>She nodded. 'Okay, Quinn come right up.' she waved her arm welcomingly. Quinn huffed and stood up straight, looking down at her very amused Latina best friend. Sometimes she wondered why exactly they were best friends. 'I will get you for this Ronald McDonald.' she hissed in warning.<br>'Just helping you out.' Santana cackled. Quinn grumbled something unintelligible before walking down the aisle towards the stage.

Rachel waited until Quinn was standing adjacent to her on the stage before continuing. 'Watching you all practicing your monologues in the past week, I have noticed that you have not been instructed how to breathe properly, to project your voices as far and loud as possible. This is essential for stage acting, and essential for you all to learn as a simple foundation. So with Quinn's help,' she brushed her fingertips against Quinn's arm 'I'll be showing you the proper breathing exercises designed to help both the projection of your voices in large spaces such as this one, and also the preservation of your vocal chords which are bound to be put under pressure when you are performing.'  
>Rachel pressed the flat of her palm against Quinn's toned abs and pressed down lightly. Quinn felt her skin prickle lightly with the contact, and her palms began to gather a light perspiration. She could almost feel Santana's amused grin staring straight at her from the darkness. The darkness of the rest of the auditorium both relaxed her and made her feel incredibly uneasy. She felt as if her and Rachel were the only ones in the room, as she couldn't see any of her peers, which relaxed her. However at the same time, knowing her peers were out there watching them both together, but not being able to see them, made her feel uneasy.<p>

Quinn placed both of her hands on her hips and raised her chin. She knew if she was gonna make it through this humiliation, she was gonna have to rely on HBIC Quinn. Santana smiled as she watched Quinn inhabit her HBIC stance, and she knew old Quinn was back with a vengeance. Rachel applied more pressure on Quinn's abs, and she instantly tensed. Rachel smiled and leaned into her side slightly.  
>'Relax,' she breathed. Quinn swallowed subtly as a sick feeling began to swim in the pit of her stomach at the contact. Rachel's perfume wafted over her, and she fought her reflex to close her eyes and take in the scent. Quinn gave the most convincing smile she could muster and Rachel continued.<br>'You'll have a partner in this exercise, to experiment with each other.' Quinn's stomach dropped further and Santana clamped her hands over her nose and mouth in an attempt to muffle the snort she immediately released. Quinn kept her chin pointed into the air trying the best she could to keep a straight face.  
>'One of you will put your hand on your partner's abdomen, just like I'm doing to Quinn. Quinn will repeat the sentence 'the fox jumped over the hill', while I push down against her abdomen, and slightly up towards her ribs, like this.' Rachel pushed into her as promised, as her fingertips brushed the skin over the bottom of her ribs. Rachel nodded giving her the cue to repeat the sentence. Quinn confidently looked out into the darkness, with her HBIC guard fixed in place.<br>'The fox jumped over the hill.' she repeated confidently, her voice filling the auditorium. Quinn didn't move her head but saw out of the corner of her eye, Rachel beamed at her nodding once.  
>'See what I did there was to <em>stimulate<em> the air around Quinn's diaphragm to carry the air out of her chest to project her voice.' Santana clamped her hand harder over her mouth trying to suppress the giggle threatening to spill out. Quinn was just waiting for the stage to open beneath her and swallow her whole.

Rachel then stepped behind her and wrapped her hands firmly around Quinn's waist. _You've gotta be kidding me_, Quinn thought as she silently groaned. She felt Rachel's warm breath against the skin on the back of her neck. Rachel's thumbs slid to Quinn's back beside her kidneys as the rest of her fingertips pressed against her front around her waist. As the pads of her thumbs brushed her back, Rachel's breath hitched hitting the back of Quinn's neck. Quinn thought she must have been hallucinating when she felt Rachel's mouth just behind the shell of her ear.  
>'Is this okay...?' Rachel whispered, breath tickling her ear. Quinn only responded by nodding once. Rachel stepped to the side slightly, hands still on Quinn's waist. 'This is another way you can expel air out of the diaphragm and lungs.'<br>Rachel lightly squeezed and Quinn repeated the sentence creating the same effect.

Shortly after, Rachel finally released her grip. She may have been small, but she had a surprisingly firm grip. She smiled right at Quinn. 'See me after class.' she whispered before sending Quinn back down into the audience with the rest of her peers. Exhaling a breath, she sat back down in her deep navy seat next to Santana.  
>Santana smirked but kept looking at the stage. 'Enjoy yourself?'<br>'Shut up.' Quinn fired back.  
>'Y'know you really need to work on your turned on face...'<br>'What?' she hissed finally looking at the brunette.  
>Santana smothered herself with her hand again, hiding her amusement at Quinn shocked face. 'I'm kidding, I'm kidding!' she cackled through her fingers.<p>

They each paired off to practice the exercises that Rachel and Quinn had just demonstrated, of course Santana and Quinn were stuck together. Quinn took the opportunity to inflict some physical pain, just to show the Latina that she was still royally pissed about her humiliating nomination.  
>'Y'know, I don't know why you're so pissed. I'm helping you out.' said Santana breathlessly after having the air literally forced out of her by Quinn. She didn't reply, just rolled her eyes when they picked their bags up from the floor at the end of class. When she turned her body towards the stage Santana gave her an odd look. 'Berry asked me to hang back after class.'<br>Santana raised an eyebrow, amusement sparkling in her eyes. 'I bet she did...' she retorted before filing out of the auditorium after her classmates.

Rachel was sorting some papers on a hidden desk at the back of the stage when she heard footsteps behind her on the stairs.  
>She turned to the blonde girl smiling. 'You did good today.' Quinn returned her hands to her hips and simply nodded. Rachel watched her and smiled to herself. <em>Her defence mechanism<em>, she mused.  
>'Ive been watching you, Ms. Fabray.' Quinn's brow furrowed. Rachel chuckled lightly, the airy tinkling sound hitting deep within the blonde. 'I've noticed you've been late to every class since we started the new semester.' Quinn released a slight sigh. 'Is there anything, going on...Ms. Fabray?'<br>Her hands tightened around her waist, looking Rachel straight in the face. 'No, Ms. Berry.'  
>'Call me Rachel, Ms. Fabray...So there's no explanation for your lateness?'<br>Quinn shrugged, playing the nonchalant card. 'I sleep in.'  
>Rachel chuckled. 'Well that's going to have to change Ms. Fabray.'<br>'Obviously.' she stated shortly. 'Call me Quinn, _Rachel_.' she replied almost mockingly.  
>Rachel folded her arms across her chest and Quinn tried to focus her attention away from the way her pert tanned cleavage was brushing against the V in her jumper. The taller girl searched for distraction in the dark audience.<br>'Y'know Quinn,' she leaned back against the desk behind her. Quinn turned her eyes back to the stunning brunette. 'We're not that different, you and me.'  
>'We're nothing alike.' Rachel was a little taken back by the blonde's bluntness. Quinn kicked herself internally, it totally didn't come out right. But she couldn't back down now.<br>Rachel sensed there was something off with the girl in front of her. 'Quinn, y'know you can talk to me if you need to. Or I can help you find someone to talk to.'  
>Quinn slid her thumb underneath the light brown strap of the satchel dangling from her shoulder. 'I gotta go.'<p>

Before Rachel knew it, Quinn had disappeared back into her cloak of darkness. Before she could think, she felt a pair of hands slide around her waist and spin her around.  
>She looked up into chocolate eyes. 'Hey babe.'<br>She slid her small hands against his triceps and he leaned down, giving her a soft kiss on the lips.  
>She pulled back. 'What you doing here? What happened to your class?'<br>'Class dismissed baby.' He cooed kissing her again.  
>She rested her temple against his defined chest, looking out into the darkness.<br>_There's just something about her._

Quinn rested her palm against one of the double doors leading out of the auditorium. She felt a sick feeling begin to slide up her body as she watched Rachel smile back up at the mystery man.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 3: I Can Hear You Callin' My Name**

Rachel Berry awoke early to one of her favourite things - the smell of freshly brewed coffee. She reached her arm out to her left smiling, but quickly frowned and opened her eyes when she found nothing but crumpled sheets underneath her touch.  
>She sat bolt upright, her smile returned when another of her favourite things walked into the bedroom wearing nothing but a pair of black boxers, holding a steaming cup of her morning coffee.<br>'Don't move.' he smiled as he sat back onto his side of her spacious double bed. He kissed the tip of her nose handing her the dark purple mug. 'Good morning my little princess. Be careful, it's hot.' he warned, referring to the contents of the mug.  
>She looked down at the mug and smirked raising her brow, before reaching back and putting the mug on her nightstand. She smiled at him. 'The coffee...' she grabbed and tugged lightly on his short Mohawk bringing his face millimetres away from hers. '...Or you...?' she purred.<br>He smirked and ran his teeth along her bottom lip making her shudder. He ran his fingertips lightly down her bare ribs and chuckled. 'I think you take care of that,' he kissed her waiting lips. 'Pretty well.'  
>She wrapped her arms around his neck. 'Oh yeah...?' she smiled into his lips, ready for another touch.<p>

In one quick motion, he grabbed onto her hips through the white sheet draped around her naked body and flushed her down on her back into the matching white pillows making her squeal.  
><em>'Noah!'<br>_He winked above her. 'Yes, babe...?'  
>Before she could answer, his lips went to work gently caressing the skin on her neck. She melted into his touch running her palms over his back and wrapping her toned calves around his hips.<br>'Nevermind...' She hummed.

He smiled into her neck and nipped at the skin making a ripple trickle through her body. She accidentally bucked her hips into his, and then groaned when in response he rolled his hips down into hers, hitting her centre just right.  
>He took his hands off bracing her hips and traced her outer thighs, and pulled her knees apart, releasing his body from hers before pulling himself up away from her. She groaned in disappointment but he simply smiled. He slowly pulled the white sheet away from her warm skin, and replaced it with his mouth, trailing a line with his lips over her collarbone, down over her sternum, stopping briefly to run his tongue in a circle over her right nipple making her back arch at the touch. Her brought his hands back to hold either side of her ribs, keeping her still while he used his teeth to lightly appreciate the hardening bud. She let out a low moan that vibrated against her ribs and he chuckled against her skin, breezing cool air over her moist nipple making her shudder.<p>

She rolled her hips slightly, making it clear what she wanted. He looked up at her face,and she looked absolutely beautiful. Her long wavy dark chocolate locks spread around the pillow as her head was thrown back with her eyes closed, a slight sheen of sweat already forming on her forehead with shallow breaths tumbling from her lips.  
>He continued on, running his tongue down her taught, tanned abs until he got to her hipbones. He paused, his breath tickling her skin, making her squirm in her arousal.<br>'Noah...' she moaned.  
>He licked his lips and looked up, even though her head was still thrown back towards the dark wooden headboard.<br>He chuckled silently. 'Yes baby?' He asked, feigning innocence.  
>She ran her left hand through the tip of his mohawk. 'Noah baby, please...' she whined.<br>He grazed his teeth along her right hipbone making her breath hitch audibly in her throat. 'Yesss...' she hissed.  
>He ran his hands down and pressed his thumbs against her hipbones to keep her still while he nibbled along her pantyline, leaving little marks as he went. <em>Mine <em>he grinned.

He moved his left hand up and placed it over her abs to pin her to the white sheets while he moved his right hand from her ass, down under a toned olive thigh to the back of her knee giving himself more room.  
>She let out a noise that he could only determine as a whine, so he moved lower, and lightly ran the tip of his tongue up the length of her centre.<br>'Ohh yesss Noah_ there_...' she fought against his left hand to move off the bed but he kept her pinned.  
>He smiled at her reaction when he applied more pressure with the flat of his tongue against her core dragging it up towards her clit. He could feel her heels digging into the mattress as she tried not to arch her back as he kept running small circles over and over her clit with the tip of his tongue until she was practically shaking, her chest heaving. She was getting close already, he knew it.<br>'N-Noah...' She stuttered breathlessly. 'P-please...'  
>'Hmm...?' he asked not looking up, so it would vibrate straight through her.<br>'P-please Noah...just...' he flicked his tongue making her knees shake 'oh goddd...p-please just...fuck me!'

He smirked to himself. 'As the lady wishes.' he mumbled before leaking a cool stream of air over her hardened clit and pushing his rigid tongue straight inside of her.  
>'Ohh...<em>NOAH<em>!' She wailed running her nails through his mohican again and again. He'd gotten a fair few insults on his choice of hairstyle, but it never seemed so stupid when it gave the ladies something to grab onto. He pushed his tongue in, then withdrew it leaving only the tip inside of her and repeated himself over and over while she moaned and writhed against the bed in pleasure. Normally he wouldn't repeat himself, but Rachel Berry was a hard woman to please and he knew what she liked. He felt her walls begin to squeeze around him, and he knew it was time for the big finish. So as he slowly withdrew his tongue, he curled it as sharply as he could making her chest rise off the bed as she hurtled to the edge of cliff, ready to tumble down into her impending orgasm.  
>He smiled before withdrawing his tongue slowly, but didn't give her time to make a sound before he bit down hard against her clit and her whole back snapped off the bed and her head whipped upwards trailing her hair down over her back as she screamed unintelligible sounds and then a final '<em>ohh m-gg-ohmygod NOAH<em>!'  
>To help her ride out her fierce orgasm, and apologise to her clit for his rough treatment, he kissed it once lightly before moving back up her limp body.<p>

He looked down at her as she dreamily opened her eyes, revealing those deep dark brown eyes. She raised a hand to stroke the side of his stubbled jaw. 'Oh my god baby...' she sighed breathlessly.  
>'Good?' he smiled.<br>She nodded, her pearly whites on display. 'Always...' she breathed.  
>He placed a single kiss on that addictive pout before an unwelcome buzzing began, making Rachel groan for an entirely different reason. Noah leaned over her to turn off the alarm clock.<br>He smiled down at his sated girlfriend. 'Time to get up baby. You don't wanna be late for class, do you?'  
>She groaned and he pecked her perfect pink lips.<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **_Thank you all for your lovely comments so far, they've been really good to read! Updates may be a little more sporadic from now on since I'm back at Uni but I'll keep trying to update as much as I can. As you guys are reading the story, if you can think of any suggestions for what should come next for Rachel, Quinn or any of the characters please let me know - it helps the ideas keep rolling in. If you're still reading from the beginning, thanks for sticking around! _

**Chapter 6: I Recognised Your Face**

Quinn woke with a start to the sound of a loud crunching whirr. She looked down to find her laptop had disappeared from her lap. She looked overhear shoulder towards the crunching noise and Santana was beaming at her from the kitchen counter. Santana stopped the whirr and came out of the kitchen walking toward Quinn with a glass containing a thick light brown liquid. She handed it to the blonde.  
>'That looks like shit.' she grumbled.<br>'Good morning to you too grumpy.' the Latina chirped ruffling the choppy blonde hair under her palm. 'Peanut butter smoothie, go on try it.'  
>The blonde eyed her cynically. 'Why are you being so nice to me...'<br>She rolled her eyes. 'I'll admit I've been pushing you lately.' she shrugged. 'So I've come up with an idea for you.' she chirped.  
>'Your last idea ended up with me humiliating myself.'<br>'A road trip. I know that you like them...' she announced.  
>'Santana...' she sighed.<br>Santana smiled. 'Come on Q. Please?'  
>'What's the real reason San...'<br>'Daddy Lopez's birthday...' she muttered behind her hand.  
>'What did you just say...?' Quinn squinted at her.<br>'It's Papi Lopez's birthday in a few days...'  
>Quinn swung her legs off the couch touching her feet to the floor. She shook her head adamantly. 'No. No way San. Not in a <em>million <em>years.'

She wasn't quite sure how it happened, but Quinn Fabray was headed back to Lima. Not only that, but _she _was the one driving. Santana and Brittany were sitting in the back chirping along to whatever mindless pop song was on the radio; Quinn wasn't really paying attention. She looked into the rear view to see Santana smiling at Britt.  
>'I don't wanna look back there and find you two gettin' it on San.'<br>She shrugged. 'Fine, we'll just wait till we stop for gas.'  
>She scoffed. 'Not if you wanna get to Lima alive.'<br>She winked through the mirror. 'Fighting words Fabray.'  
>Quinn laughed. 'You wanna test me?'<br>Santana smiled. 'I'll take your word for it...for now.' she winked again.

An unknown number appeared on her screen. She pressed the green button.  
>'Hello...?' she responded cautiously.<br>'Miss Rachel Berry?' she recognised the voice, she just couldn't place it.  
>'This is she.'<br>'Hello Ms Berry, this is Will Schuester...'  
>She laughed. 'Mr <em>Schuester<em>? Hi, how are you?'  
>'I'm very well thank you, how are you Ms Berry?'<br>She smiled. 'You taught me for years Mr Schuester, just call me Rachel.'  
>'I hear you're coaching in New Haven...'<br>She nodded. 'At Yale, yeah.'  
>'Wow, what happened to Broadway?'<br>'Nothing,' she shrugged. 'It's still there. I'm just taking time out.'  
>'Fair enough. Listen Rachel, there's a reason I called...'<br>'Fire away.'  
>'As you know, McKinley holds a career day once a year...'<br>'When is it?'  
>He chuckled. 'Thursday. I know it's short-'<br>'I'll be there.' she responded brightly interrupting him.  
>He audibly exhaled in relief. 'Thanks Rachel, you're really saving my ass!'<br>'No problem Mr Schuester, I'll get a flight out tomorrow and I'll see you Thursday.'  
>Noah sat down on the bed next to her feet. 'Who was that babe?'<br>She smiled at him. 'Pack your bags Noah Puckerman, we're headed bag to McKinley!'  
>He just gave her an alarmed stare.<p>

She felt like she had been sucked into a void which catapulted her back four years. As soon as they got to Lima they all went to the Lopez residence, Quinn and Brittany were both staying there as there was _no way_ Quinn was going back to her home if she simply _had_ to be in Lima of all places. The porch door swung open and Mrs Lopez came squealing out of the front door to embrace Santana, then Brittany and finally Quinn with open arms.  
>'Oh Papi will be so pleased that you're all finally here!' she exclaimed. 'Come, come get all your things settled in San's room, you must be so tired!' she beckoned them inside and they shuffled up the stairs ladened with their bags bursting with everything they probably didn't need.<p>

Santana closed the door as Quinn flopped lifelessly face first onto Santana's red double bed. Brittany took to her black desk chair and started spinning herself around, stopping every once in a while when she felt too dizzy to continue. Santana rifled through her closet to remind herself of what clothes she had left behind when her hand rustled against a plastic cover. She pulled the hanger down from the rail and brought the garment out to face the other girls. Brittany stopped spinning, holding her head trying to stabilise her vision.  
>Santana smiled at the dizzy blonde. 'Look what I just found...'<br>Brittany's eyes lit up. 'Quinn look!' she squealed.  
>Quinn simply grunted, her voice muffled by the red comforter.<br>Santana rolled her eyes and huffed. '_Lucy Quinn Fabray_, roll the hell over and look at what I'm holding!'  
>Quinn gritted her teeth and found the strength to roll onto her back, and finally raised her head. Then her hazel eyes went wide.<p>

'Ah, so the rumours are true. The prodigal hobbit has returned.' The formidable blonde spoke, her voice ringing with an air of self-satisfaction.  
>Rachel smiled up at the blonde coach. 'Nice to see you again too Coach Sylvester.'<br>'I knew you'd come crawling back when you realised _The Borrowers _was the only show you could successfully audition for without the use of stilts.'  
>Rachel placed her hands on her hips. 'Actually Coach, Mr Schuester asked me to come in and speak as part of the career day.'<br>'To show his gang of losers that Frodo can make it out of the shire?'  
>Rachel looked confused for a moment before answering. 'If that was your attempt at a compliment, thank you. If not, to be honest I'm not quite sure what you just said...'<br>She felt a large hand on her shoulder. 'Always a pleasure Coach.' Rachel looked up and Noah nodded.  
>Sue almost grimaced. 'Jailbait, wasn't expecting to see you here.' She noticed Noah's protective hand resting on Rachel's shoulder and a smirk began to show. 'Glad to see you haven't changed Puckerman.'<br>He smiled. 'You too Coach.'  
>She shook her head dismissively. 'If you two would excuse me before I vomit, I have more Cheerios to make into champions.'<br>As Sue began to walk past them Noah replied. 'Slavery has been illegal for a long time now Sue.'  
>She laughed turning back to them. 'Not when it's for one Sue Sylvester.' She winked. 'And that's <em>Coach<em> _Sylvester_ to you, squirrel features.' she warned.  
>He smirked. 'I'm not a student here anymore <em>Sue<em>.'  
>'Are you sure Lennie? It took you long enough to get out of here the first time.' she finally commented before walking away, that red tracksuit fading amongst the throngs of McKinley students.<br>Noah laughed. 'That woman will never change.'

Three uniformed Cheerios walked down the hallway as if they owned the damn place, lead by a stunning blonde who just radiated assertiveness. They walked straight past Rachel and Noah as if they weren't even there. They both found themselves unable to tear their eyes away from the three girls, both for completely different reasons.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Who Do You Think You Are? **

Rachel slipped into the locker room to find Quinn bending over, one white sneaker on the small wooden bench, tying her laces. She tried to ignore the fact she could see right underneath the Cheerios skirt, red spanx on display. Almost as if she expected to be followed, Quinn stood up straight and turned to face Rachel, arms folded across her chest.

'What are you doing here Quinn?'  
>Quinn smirked. 'I should ask you the same thing.'<br>Rachel smoothed her warm hands against the skirt of her navy and white polka dot dress and paused before looking back up at Quinn. 'I was asked to return as a speaker for the career day today here at McKinley.'  
>'But that doesn't explain why you're in <em>here<em>, Rachel.' Quinn gestured to their surroundings. A little lost for words, Rachel ignored the statement. 'Well why are _you_ in here Quinn?'  
>She shrugged with her hands planted firmly on her hips. 'I was Coach Sue's favourite head Cheerio. She said if I ever returned, I was allowed to use McKinley's exercise equipment.'<br>Rachel just simply nodded. 'Well, don't let me interrupt you. I need to find Will Schuester anyhow.'  
>Rachel turned to leave. 'Ask the girls with the shortest skirts in the school. Chances are, they've seen him.' Quinn retorted. Rachel simply ignored the blonde's not so subtle accusation and left the locker room, with Quinn still standing in the same position.<p>

Santana emerged from behind one of the rows of lockers and high-fived Quinn.

When the lights are turned off, the halls of William McKinley High School look oh so very different. Rachel Berry stood by the double doors leading into the school. She never thought she'd be standing in those red and white hallways again. All those years of harsh ice cold multi-coloured facials and cruel nicknames were replaced by bright white lights and standing ovations laced with the feeling of perspiration on palms with the cast coming together for good luck hugs and chants before the start of every performance.

But now Rachel Berry's palms were perspiring for a whole new reason. She'd been caught. Quinn Fabray stood outside the doors to the Rachel Berry Auditorium with a raised eyebrow and a smirk plastered onto those pale pink lips.

Quinn's head began swirling with those photos she found on Google when her eyes caught the pint sized brunette standing in the dimly lit hallway wearing...a Cheerios uniform? The brunettes eyes widened, knowing that Quinn caught her in the unfamiliar attire.

Quinn eyed the way long toned tanned legs disappeared under the folds of the red polyester skirt that haunted her for so many years. Subtle glimpses of toned abs peeked out from underneath the red and white panelled vest, just calling out for the blonde's pale fingers to take a closer look. Defined collarbones winked from under the hood of those long chocolate locks spilling around the small woman's chest, begging for attention from the blonde's lips. Quinn new she had a job to do, but she struggled to settle the warmth slowly building in her lower abdomen.

'I never knew you were a Cheerio Rachel...'  
>Rachel interlocked her fingers in front of herself. 'I wasn't.'<br>Quinn cocked her head. 'Then why are you wearing one of the uniforms?'  
>Rachel swallowed. 'That's none of your business Quinn.'<br>The blonde smiled approaching the brunette. 'Oh, I think it is. Coach Sue would lynch you if she found you wearing one of the uniforms. And as head cheerleader, I'm the next best thing...' she walked around the smaller girl, lingering between her shoulder blades. She made sure she kept standing behind the smaller woman so Rachel couldn't see the way Quinn's pupils were dilating. She heard the brunette's short breaths become increasingly shallow and a smile played around her lips.  
>'It's exciting isn't it...' the blonde kept her voice low, just behind Rachel's ear. 'The feeling of knowing you're <em>feared<em>...that people _want you_...want to _be you_...'  
>Rachel almost shuddered, feeling Quinn so close inside her personal space. That if Quinn just slightly reached out, she could touch her...<br>She shook her head. 'I have to go.' she said snapping out of her almost-trance. She marched off and Quinn just let her go, watching her walk away in that familiar white and red uniform.

An unfamiliar feeling suddenly slammed into her, into her chest winding her. It grabbed her whole body, sickness began bubbling up and she felt weak, as if she may fall. Rachel was out of sight, but Quinn had a pretty good idea of where she would be. Her blood began to pulse, her heartbeat in her ears. Without a second thought, she took off running down the hallway and she knew exactly where to go.

Rachel slipped into the old choir room where she'd been giving her career talk just a few hours before. Noah was sat on the piano stool hunched over a Fender Stratocaster he found propped up against the wall, plucking at the strings. Rachel crept up behind him, thankful that the white sneakers on her feet didn't squeak against the floor. She slid her hands over his eyes.  
>'Good evening <em>Mr Puckerman<em>...' she purred behind his ear. She removed her hands from over his eyes and stepped around in front of him. His brown eyes nearly popped out of his head when she took the black and white guitar from under his hands and set it back down against the wall, deliberately behind over enough for him to see under the Cheerios skirt, her red lace French knickers on display. She turned to him again and smiled sweetly. 'Mr Puckerman, I've been struggling a little with a _personal_...problem...'  
>He looked up at her. 'Oh yeah? And what's that...' his voice was husky yet soft.<br>Rachel rubbed the back of her neck with her right hand, faking discomfort. 'This top is so tight, I think I need to take it off, but I need some help to do it...'  
>Noah reached out putting his hands on her hips, drawing her to him. 'I always like to be of assistance...' he growled. He pulled her down into his lap, forgetting the piano behind him as he leaned back against the ivory keys and they made an un attractive clunking noise. She smirked and swept her long dark locks over her right shoulder as his strong hands fingered the silver zip just below the left side of her ribcage.<p>

Quinn's fingers curled around the red painted doorframe, fighting against the feeling of being suffocated.

When Quinn arrived back at Santana's house, she'd never been more glad that the Latina's family weren't home. She fished the spare key out from under the terracotta plant pot on the front porch and opened the door. She marched up to Santana's room, she didn't care if she was about to see something she shouldn't. She thrust open the door without knocking and slammed it behind her, looking directly at the Latina.

'I'm out. The bet's off Santana.'


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Put Your Mind In A Dreamworld  
><strong>

Santana leaned back in her computer chair and folded her arms. 'I see the new improved Quinn is back.'  
>Quinn ripped the black knitted beanie hat from her head, ruffling her short blonde hair. 'Let me outta the bet San.' she huffed.<br>She shook her head adamantly. 'You're only a month in Quinn, you haven't even really tried.'  
>Quinn threw her hands up huffing. 'I'll fucking <em>pay you<em> the $1500. Just let me out this stupid fucking bet.'  
>Santana cocked her head. 'But you were doing so <em>good<em>.' she teased. 'Why the change of heart?'  
>'I told you, I'm not a home wrecker.'<br>The Latina shrugged. 'Never said you were.'  
>'You bet me to sleep with her! I'm not sure what your definition of a 'home wrecker' is if that in itself doesn't scream home wrecker to you.'<br>'Fucking her is just fucking her.' she shrugged nonchalantly. 'People do it all the time.'  
>'Not if they're in love with someone else!' Quinn screeched.<br>Santana's eyes sparked and Quinn nearly clamped a palm over her mouth when she realised what had just tumbled from her mouth. Santana stood from her computer chair and stalked towards Quinn standing by the bed. A dark smirk spread across her mouth.  
>'Say that again, Quinn.'<br>Quinn simply stared at Santana.  
>'Go on. Admit it...'<br>Quinn looked to Brittany sitting by the pillows on the bed but the other blonde just smiled at her helplessly. Santana shook her head and scoffed as she moved ever closer. 'Oh no, Britts ain't gon' help you now Quinn Fabray...'

The bass reverberated around the painted black brick walls and hit Quinn so hard deep within her chest it vibrated through her very core. To get Santana and Brittany off her case, she had distracted them with a suggestion to go out to a club that night. She just didn't think her distraction plan through far enough to realise that she would actually have to go out. Lima was never really known for its nightlife, house parties always seemed the more exciting option. Oh how Quinn wished she had that option now. Crowds of sweaty bodies moved together in a huddled mass, girls swaying their hips while guys danced behind them awkwardly or watched from the sidelines practically drooling. Couples' faces merged into one as they drunkenly moved into darkened corners of the underground club.

The three girls slid through the crowds and groups of dancing friends until they reached the bar. After about ten minutes of trying to attract the attention of at least one of the bartenders they were finally served their drinks by a woman with a silver nose ring and pink and blonde dreadlocks. Quinn nodded in appreciation before they moved out of the way, into a spot under a thudding black speaker. She quietly sipped on her vodka tonic as Santana whispered god knows what into Brittany's ear, making her eyebrow curl in curiosity. She turned her gaze away, she really wasn't interested in every little detail of her best friends' love lives. She looked out onto the darkened dance floor, occasionally illuminated by darting coloured spotlights. She looked back to her friends and knew she was about to be ditched. Santana linked her pinkie finger in Brittany's and winked at Quinn before they disappeared into the darkness. Quinn was then left alone under the speaker, her the clear intoxicating liquid vibrating from within her glass. She shrugged it off, she usually liked to be alone - she liked the freeing feeling of not being watched all the time, particularly by those two she called her best friends.

She turned her attention back to the dancefloor and watched the way couples and groups interacted with each other, when their bodies intertwined. As she sipped more and more of her drink, she found her body moving on its own, swaying to the hard beat of the music. She found herself drifting onto the dancefloor, moving in amongst the sweaty crowd of bodies moving as if the music had possessed them. She felt a chilling sensation deep within her lower abdomen, almost like a warning, but it became weaker and weaker the more the clear liquid became absorbed into her pumping bloodstream. The crowds parted on the dancefloor for a mere second, and her eyes moved over a shaded figure. She saw no features of the figure, but she became drawn towards the intriguing being. She subtly moved closer on the sticky black floor, giving herself a better view.

She swayed her hips to the music as she walked off towards the restroom. Quinn felt compelled to follow her as she pushed open the heavy black door to the ladies restroom. She pushed open the door to a stall and it finally dawned on Quinn who the figure was. A pair of mysterious brown eyes darted to hers as the stall door began to close. Like an instinct, Quinn stepped forward, wrenching the door from the woman's hand and slipped inside the stall.

Two small fists bunched up the black material of her blazer, and slammed her with surprising angry force back against the stall door. Ominous brown eyes looked up at her with a dark expression she couldn't read. She discreetly slid the metal bolt across the lock securing the grey door pressing into her back. Her pale hands became animated, taking on a life of their own as they moved from behind her back and slid against black material over small hips. The brown eyes beneath her still bore into her very soul, the warmth in her lower abdomen quickly developing into a fire.

In one movement, she takes the hips in front of her between her hands and pushes the smaller body against the wall of the stall. A shocked pair of eyes meet hers again, but this time the look isn't harsh like before. This time it's different. Quinn keeps one hand on the hips in front of her, while the other snakes into long tousled brunette hair, finding the back of the smaller woman's neck to lock onto. She tilted her head to the right, bringing her lips down to barely brush against Rachel Berry's infamously plump dark pink pout. Her eyes flicked up to the chocolate orbs before they closed, and the brunette nodded Quinn permission.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Into The Ashes Of No Return**

Just like that first day, Quinn Fabray stood in front of her on the stage steps.

Rachel cleared her throat in an attempt to gather some authority. 'Ms Fabray, thank you for seeing me.'  
>The blonde ascended the few steps. 'Cut the 'Ms Fabray' crap, it's annoying.' she responded bluntly.<br>'I'm just treating you with the same respect you should have for me as your teacher.'  
>Quinn rose that perfectly arched brow. Rachel felt her insides clench at the action so perfectly Quinn. Rachel looked around them, secretly hoping that someone would walk in and interrupt them. The brunette swallowed and looked down at the shiny black stage. 'I just wanted to make it perfectly clear that what occurred last week can <em>never <em>happen again. The alcohol severely affected my judgement on what was proper and professional. I am your coach, and things like what happened can _never ever _occur again.'  
>A smile played on the blonde's lips. She set her hands on her hips. 'You can't even look me in the eye can you...? When you think about me...' she chuckled 'you can't even look me in the eye...'<p>

Rachel's head jerked up to contest Quinn's statement, looking up through long curled dark lashes, only to find a pair of sparkling hazel eyes right in front of hers. Her eyes flickered down to parted pale pink lips millimetres from her own. She felt her blood buzzing in her ears as her heartbeat began to race and slow down at the same time. Her breaths began to shorten as her chest heaved. She blinked, feeling the tips of her dark bangs brush against her black lashes. A taunting smile crept over the pale pink lips. 'What's the matter _Rachel_? Cat got your tongue...?' She couldn't respond, just attempting to breathe normally with her heartbeat thundering in her ears was challenging enough. The taller girl chuckled and tilted her head slightly. 'Or is that me...?' she growled low enough for Rachel to hear, the close proximity causing the smaller woman's skin to ripple with goosebumps. She set her palms down on the desk behind her to steady herself. Quinn looked down at the tanned hands and everything went cold.

On the smaller woman's left hand sat a beautiful enamel and white gold ring that definitely wasn't there a week ago. It glinted under the stage lights and she couldn't believe she hadn't noticed it before. Her eyes flicked back up to the brown orbs watching her and she didn't even have to say anything. Quinn turned on her heels, snatching her satchel from the stage floor and jumped down from the stage running towards the doors at the back of the room. Rachel sighed to herself. _Fuck. _She shook her head standing upright. '_Quinn!'_

Santana stood offstage, watching the pair. She never meant to spy, she was just on her way past and she saw lights coming from the stage. The lights reflecting off the shiny surface of the black stage leaked through the crack in the black curtain offstage where Santana stood. A soft strip of light down the centre of her face illuminated her features. Something tightened within her stomach as she watched her best friend flee the stage.

When she got back to their dorm, the blonde was nowhere to be found. The old couch heaved a sigh as she collapsed onto it, settling her feet onto the surface of the small coffee table. She closed her brown eyes as her head pressed against the well-worn arm. However, that didn't last long. Quinn burst in, slamming the door behind her causing Santana's eyes to snap open. 'What's got into your panties Tubbers?'  
>The blonde shot her a look. 'Fuck you.'<br>She smirked. 'Not gonna lie, you're an attractive chick Fabray, but no thanks.'  
>Quinn walked into the kitchen, still visible over the counter to Santana. The dark haired girl hauled herself off the couch and leaned against the counter watching Quinn stare into the fridge.<br>'You're _such _a cheater by the way.' she slipped in nonchalantly.  
>Quinn slammed the fridge door and glared at her best friend. 'What?' she snarled.<br>'As part of our arrangement youre supposed to keep me updated. When we went out to that club in Lima you disappeared. You knew Berry was there and didn't tell me. You did the nasty, didn't you?'  
>The blonde ripped the top off a strawberry yoghurt. 'I'm surprised you even noticed me disappear, the way you were devouring Britt's face.'<br>'Way to dodge the question Q.'  
>She rolled her eyes. 'Nothing happened.'<br>Santana let out a short laugh and shook her head. 'Now you're a cheater _and _a liar.' Quinn spooned yoghurt into her mouth and gave the other girl a puzzled look. 'I saw you talking to Berry today.' she shrugged.  
>Quinn stopped. 'You were spying on me? Since when was that part of the deal...'<br>Santana scoffed. 'Oh don't flatter yourself Fabray. I was just passing and saw the lights on I the auditorium. I was just interested who was in there. I know something happened between you.'  
>'Nothing happened.' Quinn replied through gritted teeth.<br>'Oh yeah?' Santana raised a brow inquisitively. 'Then why did Berry have her panties in a bunch?'  
>She shrugged. 'She was just helping me with a problem.'<br>An amused small smile fell onto the brunette's mouth. 'What, the way you want to fuck her?'  
>Quinn slammed the silver spoon onto the counter behind her. 'Y'know what San, I'm sick of your shit. This whole thing is obviously just to keep you entertained and I'm not gonna let you fuck with her feelings or mine just to keep you amused for the rest of the semester...'<br>The tanned girl's face fell. 'You're falling for her...aren't you...'  
>Quinn tossed the yoghurt pot into the stainless steel bin in the corner. 'Don't be fucking ridiculous San.'<br>Santana's probing dark eyes stayed on the blonde. 'You bolted as soon as you saw that ring. You can't tell me you don't have feelings for her when I saw you run away so fast it looked like you were gonna throw up.'  
>Quinn turned to her leaning against the counter separating them. 'I don't know what I have to do to prove to you that <em>I'm not gay<em> S. This bet was all your idea. I _don't_ have feelings for Rachel Berry.'  
>Deep brown eyes stared into golden hazel ones. 'That's a crock of shit Quinn Fabray and you know it. You love her, you just love yourself more.'<br>Before the blonde could reply, Santana fished a hand into a pocket of her jeans. She produced a crinkled folded up piece of paper and handed it to Quinn. She opened it and stared at the black handwriting.  
>'What's this?'<br>Santana rolled her eyes. 'What does it look like airhead? It's Berry's address.'  
>Her eyes snapped up from the paper. 'Where the hell did you get this?' she squeaked.<br>Santana chuckled. 'You severely underestimate me.' she responded darkly.

Brittany emerged from Santana's bedroom rubbing one of her eyes with her fist. Santana immediately softened at the adorable messy haired other blonde. Brittany walked over to the fridge and retrieved a bottle of water. Opening the blue plastic cap she took a drink and looked between the two other girls. 'What was all that noise about?' she asked sleepily.  
>Santana smirked at her. 'Quinn's gonna make a house call.'<br>Brittany twisted her face in confusion. 'Huh?'  
>'Quinn's going to Berry's apartment...'<p> 


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Only For Tonight **

Her footsteps clicked against the pavement leading up to the stone steps. Something heavy weighed down against her insides, making her tummy churn. Her hands felt clammy against the harsh material of her jeans, her sneakers felt too tight. She knew what she was meant to do; she just didn't know whether she could do it._  
>You're Quinn Fabray<em>. She told herself. _You can do anything you want_.  
>She reached the front door of the apartment building and realised she couldn't just get Rachel to buzz her into the building. She fished into her pocket and checked the address on the crumpled piece of paper resting like a weight in her pale palm. Out of her other pocket she reached for her cellphone, and looked up at the grey building looming over her.<br>'Hi, can I have a pizza delivered to _14C Victoria Towers_ on Valley Avenue as soon as possible please?'  
>'<em>What kind<em>?' Came a grumpy and bored voice on the other end.  
>She shrugged. 'It doesn't matter. I just need it as soon as possible.'<p>

Half an hour later, she was standing in the foyer of Rachel Berry's apartment block holding a cheese and tomato pizza she didn't even want. To give herself some time to stall, she decided to climb the stairs instead of the elevator. Her heart pounded to the beat of her footsteps harmonising with the sounds of her ragged breaths. She reached the third floor and took off her black beanie. She was faced with three navy blue doors with gold lettering. _14A_, _14B_, and finally…_14C_. Just seeing the door created an unwelcome tightening around her ribs. She took a few steps towards the door from the stairs when it unexpectedly opened.

She jumped a little as she was greeted by a tall man in the doorway with a mohawk and a black guitar case. The man she recognised as the same one from the auditorium. 'Oh I'm sorry,' he smiled at her. 'Are you here to see Rachel…?' She hoped to god she wasn't blushing at just the mention of her name.  
>'Uh, yeah…she home?' She smiled trying to hide her nervousness. It hit her that she didn't even know what she was doing there apart from making an ass out of herself for Santana and Brittany's benefit…yet <em>again<em>.  
>'Yeah, yeah she's here.' He smiled and turned half back into the apartment. 'Hey Rach?' he called out.<br>Quinn shook her head, her blonde hair flicking around her face. 'If she's busy I'll just come back later…'  
>He shook his head at her. 'No, no she's not, she's just…'<br>Before he could finish his sentence the door was pulled back from the inside to reveal the stunning brunette in a short black satin dressing gown with tousled wet hair. She held a white towel in her left hand, and when she saw Quinn she stopped drying her hair.  
>Noah smiled at the blonde and turned to Rachel. 'Your visitor…' Rachel forced a small smile, but Noah was none the wiser. 'Well, I gotta get going, those instruments wont play themselves!' he said cheerily and excused himself out from between the two women. When Noah had disappeared into the elevator and the doors had closed, Rachel finally spoke.<p>

'What are you doing here Quinn?'  
>The blonde looked down at the white pizza box in her hands and then looked back up at her. 'Peace offering…?' She offered her the box. 'It's from this really good vegan deli I know…'<br>The brunette sighed hanging onto the doorframe with her free hand. 'You shouldn't be here Quinn…'  
>'I know. I know. I just…I'm <em>really<em> sorry Rachel.' She shrugged still holding out the pizza box between them. 'I just wanted to come and apologise to you.'  
>'How do you even know where I live?'<br>'A friend of mine found out.'  
>'About where I live, or…' she looked around them keeping her voice down. '…what happened…?'<br>Quinn looked down and cleared her throat. 'Both.'  
>'<em>Quinn<em>.' She hissed sharply. Quinn looked up into those dark chocolate eyes. The brunette sighed and stepped aside, still holding onto the door. 'Get in here.'

Quinn quickly stepped inside the apartment and Rachel disappeared for a moment after shutting the door. Not quite knowing what to do, Quinn set the pizza box down onto the mahogany coffee table beside her. Rachel re-appeared sans towel. 'I thought I made it clear that _no one_ can know about what happened.'  
>'She was there.'<br>'What?'  
>'Last week in the club. She was there. I didn't see her till later on, but she was there. And then when we were talking about it yesterday, she overheard.'<br>'Was it that other cheerleader I saw you with in McKinley?' Rachel watched her intently. Quinn hoped if she didn't have to look at the smaller woman, she wouldn't give in. And then that small, desperate voice leaked through her thoughts.  
>'<em>Quinn<em>…'  
>The blonde looked up to find those unforgettable brown eyes. Those dark galaxy chocolate brown eyes that made her forget where she was, who she was. She found sadness hidden behind a weakening resolve. She wanted to turn around and walk out of that apartment and never come back; but she found herself rooted to the spot. She swallowed, clearing her throat and her chances of redemption.<br>'…It's Santana.' She croaked. 'Santana knows.'  
>Rachel's small tanned hand instantly covered her eyes. '<em>Quinn<em>!' She exclaimed. 'She's my _student_!'  
>Quinn shook her head. 'I know, I know I'm sorry. I'm <em>so<em> sorry.'  
>The tanned hand dropped and Quinn could see tears forming in Rachel's eyes. 'If she tells…I'm gone Quinn…that's it…' she responded quietly with a tired shrug.<br>The blonde shook her head. 'She won't tell.'  
>'How do you know?'<br>'Because I told her not to. I can trust her.'  
>Rachel let out a short laugh. 'Oh I'm glad <em>you<em> can!'  
>Quinn took a chance and stepped towards the smaller woman, watching her intently. 'You can too.'<br>'She's a _student_, Quinn. You're both _students_. I'm screwed!'  
>The blonde took another step, watching her. 'Look at me.'<br>Rachel shook her head, still looking down at her fingers intertwining.  
>'Rachel,' Quinn sighed. '<em>Look at me<em>.'

Rachel looked up, mahogany brown meeting golden hazel. A single tear cascaded down soft tanned skin. Quinn raised a pale thumb and smudged away the teardrop. She smiled slightly. 'Everything's gonna be fine. No one's gonna know.' She whispered. 'Okay…?' She nodded at Rachel hopefully. Rachel just looked into the blonde's eyes for another second before her eyes flicked downwards and she pressed a small palm against Quinn's t-shirt covered abdomen. Her eyes flicked up again to meet Quinn's, and something like realisation washed over the blonde. Quinn leaned down, to the waiting smaller woman's face and brushed the tips of their noses together. When Rachel didn't move, she took her cue.

She smiled as she felt the velvet skin of Rachel's lips on her own. She traced the bottom of the brunette's bangs with her index finger and tucked a damp piece of hair behind her small right ear. She moved her lips down to the tanned skin on Rachel's neck and ran her teeth down to her collarbone creating goosebumps to break out over the smaller woman's skin. Rachel brought up a small hand to tangle in Quinn's choppy blonde locks while one of the blonde's hands toyed with the loose knot fastening the front of the black satin dressing gown. Quinn pressed her mouth to Rachel's again, more sure this time as the dressing gown fell open. She snaked a hand around naked abs and a small but curvy waist while she felt the small brunette smile into her. She tried to slide her hand up further but the brunette pulled away. Quinn panicked a little worrying she'd fucked up and ruined her chance. Quinn looked at Rachel and she had a twinkle in her eye and smirk playing across her mouth; that 100 kilowatt smile peeking out from behind swollen pink lips. The smaller woman wiggled her index finger at Quinn, and the blonde's stomach fell, attempting to suppress what probably would sound like a low growl. Quinn looked down and could see that underneath that black satin robe was nothing but a pair of black lace French panties and the blonde nearly lost all of her quickly thinning composure.

Rachel moved over to her dark wooden kitchen table, her ass hitting the edge. Quinn stood frozen as she watched the small body hop up onto the table. Rachel beckoned her over, curling her index finger with a come-hither stare. Who was Quinn to contend with that?

Quinn stood towering over Rachel looking up at her through those long lashes. Quinn rose up a hand but didn't touch her until Rachel nodded her permission. She slid a hand over Rachel's bare shoulder, underneath the black robe, slipping the smooth material away from her olive skin. The robe fell behind her onto the table leaving the brunette exposed. Instead of trying to cover herself up, she reached out bunching up the material of Quinn's tee in her small fists and pulled the blonde against her.

They reconnected their mouths, the fire re-igniting. Rachel pulled Quinn's bottom lip between her teeth, making the blonde growl into her mouth. A pale hand slid from the bottom strands of devilishly dark hair, down a tanned spine, stopping at her lower back and settling on the brunette's hip. Using her height to her advantage, Quinn lowered Rachel down to lie on her back against the cool tabletop. The hand on the small hip traced a smooth tanned leg and cupped behind a small tanned knee, pulling it up to wrap around the pale hip above. A pale pink mouth left soft kisses down the column of a tanned neck and smooth sternum. An eager tongue traced the swell of the perfectly formed right boob, while a pale thumb ran just below the small left round nipple. The thumb was joined by a forefinger rolling and toying with the hardening tip as teeth pulled lightly on its counterpart to the right. Rachel's back arched into Quinn's touch and a steady stream of moans began to leak out of swollen deep pink lips.  
>'<em>Yesss…just like that…<em>'  
>While the left hand continued its ministrations on the quivering chest below her, Quinn's pale right index finger lightly ran a fingernail down the centre of the smooth tanned abs in front of her making the brunette curse in appreciation.<br>'…_Mmmph…Quinn…fuckkk…'_  
>She smiled as her nerves began to fade as her right hand came lower and lower towards the waistband of the waiting black panties. Somewhere her conscience was screaming for her to stop, but she must have left it in her dorm, because she couldn't bring herself to stop even if a herd of tigers came thundering into the room towards them. She had a feeling Rachel wouldn't want her to stop either.<p>

She released the nipple from her mouth and looked up to Rachel with a wicked grin. She lowered her head and a tanned hand found its way back into blonde choppy hair. Quinn brought her mouth down to the black waistband and took the flimsy material between her white front teeth. Looking up through her lashes, she pulled the black material down, with a little help from her right index finger hooked around the back of the underwear. She peeled the material away, and the body in front of her shivered as cool air breezed gently against the smaller woman's most intimate places.

She brought her body back above the tanned lithe body displayed for her taking on the table and two small legs wrapped around her jeans-clothed hips. She smiled down as she took those unbelievable lips against hers again while slipping the fingertips of her index and middle right fingers against the outside of the other woman's core. She felt hips buck under hers and she knew she was doing the right thing. She ran the tip of her middle finger just inside the entrance and a low moan broke out from the singer's perfect throat. Low unintelligible words frothed from the pouty lips against hers as she ghosted her thumb over the throbbing clit belonging to the small body. She then slipped her middle finger knuckle deep inside the brunette and continued to pump it in and out of the warm heat surrounding her fingers until the singer's moans became louder and more high pitched. She added a second finger, scissoring her fingers, and curling them each time she pulled out. She nibbled on the brunette's throat as she applied pressure tracing her initials on the hard clit beneath her touch with her thumb. She smiled to herself, knowing she was marking the smaller woman as Rachel screamed out, feeling her release coming nearer. Quinn began moving her fingers faster, slamming hard in and out of the brunette as she emitted high-pitched moans and pants. Sensing Rachel was close; Quinn lowered her mouth down beside the quivering brunette's ear and whispered a sentence she never thought she'd say.

'Say my name, _Rachel Berry_.' She growled directly into her ear.  
>With one final pull and curl, Rachel came apart under Quinn.<br>'_Quinn_!' She screamed, forcing the last of her air out of her lungs. Quinn pulled her fingers out completely, wiping them discreetly on her jeans and pressed a light kiss to the tanned perspiring neck under her mouth.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: I Just Can't Say No **

Quinn awoke on an unfamiliar navy couch, to the sight of her own blonde hair covering her eyes. She tried to roll over and sit up but she was stopped by something heavy pressing down on her kidney area, and the sound of calm even breaths. She looked over her bare right shoulder to find a small tanned arm slung over the back of her waist and a mass of dark brown hair. She looked back over to her left and saw a white pizza box sitting on the coffee table. And that's when she realised she'd done a terrible terrible thing.

She hooked a thumb and forefinger around the tiny wrist near her waist and lifted it gently, allowing herself to slip out from underneath the blanket of the small diva's body. Trying to stay as quiet as possible, not to disturb the sleeping tiger; she found her underwear and clothes scattered around the couch and quickly re-dressed herself. She slipped on her white sneakers and left the apartment.

* * *

><p>She took a seat on the bus and slipped on her headphones trying to drown out what she'd just let happen. She shoved her balled up fists deep into her pockets and closed her eyes. She leaned her head against the window to her left, hoping the vibrations running through her would shake away the images invading her brain.<p>

She could still feel the beads of persperation under her fingertips. The little squeaks and thin moans still echoed in her ears. Every time the bus went over a bump or dip in the road, her back would adjust against the seat and she could feel the small red raised welts rub against the cotton of her tee where the little broadway star had run her nails over her back again and again. She could still taste the velvet olive skin in her mouth and her tongue remembered every curve and dip.

She moved her palms up to her eyes with an exasperated sigh and dug the heels of her palms into her eye sockets. It was times like this she wished that she didn't have a photographic memory.

She wished she couldn't see the way that Rachel's spine curved before her. She wished she couldn't see that delicate tattoo on her ribs. She wished she didn't know how it felt to have her hands all over the brunette beauty. She wished her lips had never touched the surface of that neck, or how her tongue knew how to trace that cute ass freckle on the underside of Rachel's right boob to make the small woman under her moan like she'd never heard before. She wished she'd never seen those dark minstrel eyes snap open and blaze into her when she felt a tightening around her pale slender fingers.

She was so distracted by counting all of the things she wished she now didn't know, that she hadn't even realised like a reflex she had navigated herself off the city bus and she found herself standing, key in hand at the front door of her dorm building. She made her way inside and navigated the halls until she found her own moss green door and returned back to her place of solitude.

* * *

><p>She was greeted with Santana sitting on a stool by the kitchen counter, beer bottle in hand.<p>

'Hey golden balls!' she cheered. 'Seal the deal yet...?' she asked with a wink. She'd obviously been drinking for quite some time. Quinn shrugged off her coat and draped it over the back of the couch. 'Where's Britt?'  
>She shrugged. 'Ballet class or whatever. How's <em>Berry<em>...?' she leered.  
>'Berry is fine.' Quinn answered a little sharply. She turned her head to find Santana staring at the bottle in her hands once again. Quinn peered at the dark yellow liquid in the clear bottle as she approached her. 'What the hell are you drinking San?'<br>Santana shrugged again. 'Something I found in the fridge. Grab one, they're not all that bad...' She nodded to the refrigerator.

In favour of clearing her mind, she walked into the kitchen and retrieved herself one of whatever the brunette was drinking. She peered at the white label before popping off the metal cap and sitting down beside Santana on an identical stool.

Santana clinked bottles with her. 'So, come on, what happened? Did you bone the Berry yet?'  
>Quinn swigged her drink, taking in some of the bitter golden liquid. She swallowed before answering. '<em>No<em>, Santana I didn't 'bone' Berry...'  
>'You were gone an awfully long time not to have done <em>something<em> at least.'  
>'I...' she took another swig. 'I couldn't do it.'<br>A smile crept along Santana's mouth. 'You mean you...chickened out?'  
>'I didn't,' she sighed in defeat with an emphatic shrug choosing it was better to lie between her teeth however wrong it was. 'Fine. I guess I did.'<br>'Did you at least get to see any of the good stuff?' Santana wiggled her eyebrows.  
>Quinn punched her arm. 'Santana!'<br>'What?' she shrugged. 'She's hot.'  
>Quinn's thumb traced the edge of the white label on the bottle nodding. 'She's beautiful.'<br>Santana raised an unnoticed brow in Quinn's direction, watching the blonde. 'What's wrong Q?'  
>The pale girl instantly brightened with a fake smile. 'Nothing, I'm fine.'<br>Santana chuckled. 'If you're fine, I'm Rick Santorum.'  
>Hazel eyes drifted up to meet hers. 'Can I ask you a question...?'<br>Santana narrowed her eyes. 'Depends...'  
>Hazel eyes quickly fell back onto the bottle in pale hands. 'Doesn't matter.'<br>Santana tapped Quinn's knee with a smile. 'I'm kidding. Come on Q, I'm feeling generous. Fire away.'  
>'And this will never leave this room...?'<br>Santana made a zipping motion over her lips and threw away the key.  
>'How did you know you wanted to be with Brittany...? Like in the beginning...'<br>The Latina fought against a strong urge to tease the blonde, she always had a sixth sense when it came to her ghostly pale best friend. Instead she adjusted herself and simply smiled.  
>'Because I could never think of anyone else being at my side. I never wanted anyone but Britt by my side.' She watched Quinn smile into her beer as she swallowed another mouthful. 'You like her, don't you...?' she pressed.<br>Hazel eyes met hers again. 'Who?'  
>'I'm feeling generous Q, not clairvoyant. Yentl has charmed you, hasn't she?'<br>Quinn stared down at her sneakers. 'I _don't_ have feelings for Rachel Berry, San.'  
>The brunette snorted. 'Look me in the eye and tell me that.'<br>'I...' the words died on her pale pink tongue as she looked into those almost black eyes.  
>Santana offered her a knowing smile. 'I won't tell.'<br>Quinn dropped her bottle onto the kitchen counter and stood. 'Good. Cause there's nothing to tell.' She responded simply before retreating to her bedroom, shutting the door behind her.

Santana sighed and shook her head. 'Chicks, man.'

She stood going to retrieve Quinn's bottle from the counter when there was a knock at the door. She knew it couldn't be Brittany, because she'd just walk in anyway. She hooked both her and Quinn's bottles within her fingers in her left fist and opened the door with her right hand. What she saw, almost made her drop the bottles.

Her eyes fell on a small brunette woman in jeans and a round-necked baby pink sweater peeking out from a black hooded coat. She pushed the damp hood away from her shining dark hair, letting a few raindrops cascade away from her head and looked up at Santana through those bangs. It was then that Santana saw Quinn's knitted black beanie hat in the smaller woman's hand.

'Santana...' The woman spoke softly keeping her voice low. She looked subtly around the quiet hallway surrounding her. 'Is Quinn home...?'  
>Without saying anything the taller of the two brunettes simply stepped aside, letting Rachel enter before closing the door quietly behind her.<p>

'She's in her room.' The Latina simply responded.  
>Rachel played with the hat between her fingertips and reluctantly looked up at Santana. 'No one can know I came here Santana.'<br>Santana nodded. 'Loud and clear.'  
>'Quinn told me you knew about what happened, and then heard Quinn and I talking about it...'<br>Santana set the bottles down on the makeshift coffee table. 'Look, I'm just gonna pretend real quick that you're not my coach, okay?'  
>Rachel nodded hesitantly. 'Okay...'<br>Santana decided to shoot the shit. 'I don't know what's going on between you and my girl Q. I don't know how it started, and I don't know what you're planning. But let me just say this: Quinn's been through the ringer a little. I should know, I watched it happen. But if you screw her over, I'll be waiting for you and I _will_ go all kindsa Lima Heights on your little tight ass. D'you understand me?' Her almost black eyes burned into large round brown eyes.  
>Rachel raised her chin a little. 'I have a boyfriend Santana. Nothing is happening between Quinn and I.'<br>'Tell that to the red-faced Quinn who walked through that door smelling like you do right now. I may be younger than you but I aint stupid _Ms. Berry_.'  
>'I wouldn't jeopardise my relationship or my career like that Santana.'<br>Santana smiled shaking her head and walked past the visitor and into the kitchen. 'Whatever helps you sleep at night sweetheart.' She nodded behind herself. 'She's in her room. I'd knock if I were you, god knows what she's doing in there.'

_Knock knock._  
>'Go away Santana. I'm not in the mood.' Quinn muffled into her forearm leaning on her mattress.<em><br>Knock knock knock._  
>'Santana I said I-' she sat up ready to yell, but was cut short when the door was pushed open to reveal the small damp brunette.<p>

Without a word the brunette entered the room and shut the door silently behind herself. She tossed Quinn's hat onto the cluttered desk by the bed where the blonde was sitting upright. The smaller woman locked eyes with the blonde but still, neither of them said a word. She took off her soggy black coat and hooked it onto the back of the door. She kicked off her black ballet pumps as she approached the bed.

Eyes never broke focus on each other as the mattress dipped when a small jeans-clad knee touched the surface by Quinn's right shin, followed by another small knee by the blonde's left shin. The small body crawled up Quinn's legs, and settled itself into her lap. The pale pink jumper was lifted by small tanned hands to reveal a bare tanned torso. Quinn almost swallowed her tongue at the sight.

Those same fingers wrapped around the back of both sides of Quinn's neck as a pair of perfect pouty lips touched upon hers, opening the gates to hell.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: This Is Dangerous**

The brunette on top of her stroked either side of her jaw with the pads of her thumbs. Deep brown eyes stared into flickered hazel. Soft lips touched each other once more, unable to keep away, needing more, wanting more. 'We shouldn't be doing this…' The brunette moaned through a kiss. 'I shouldn't be here…'  
>A smile tugged at the blonde's lips. 'Then tell me you <em>don't<em> wanna be here…' She whispered.  
>The brunette's lips hovered above hers when a soft vibration rippled through both of them. Quinn raised that blonde brow and tried not to laugh when Rachel smiled bashfully and reached into her back pocket to retrieve her ringing cellphone.<br>Then her face dropped.

She pressed the green button and clambered off Quinn's lap rubbing her forehead.  
>'Hello?' Quinn could hear a male voice, even from across the room.<br>'_Babe…? Where you at…?_' Rachel smiled slightly, a sight that made Quinn nauseated. Rachel looked across at Quinn with an expression the blonde couldn't read. 'I bumped into Mike from college this afternoon, so we're just having some coffee and a catch up…'  
>'<em>Mike Chang? That's cool, say hey to him for me<em>.'  
>'I will do.' She smiled. 'Hey I better go; he's just bringing the coffee back.'<br>'_Okay, I got classes early tomorrow so I think I'm just gonna hit the sack. I'll see you when you get back.'_  
>'Okay, no problem.'<br>'_Have fun. I love you.'_  
>She looked down at her bare feet against the thin beige carpet. 'I love you too. Bye.'<br>She ended the call and looked back to the blonde sitting on the bed looking straight at her. She reached for her pink jumper and pulled it back over her head.

Rachel shrugged. 'What else was I supposed to say?'  
>Quinn rolled her eyes. 'Oh I dunno, maybe if you grew a backbone…'<br>The brunette scoffed. 'Oh that's cheap coming from _you_.'  
>Quinn swung her legs round to settle her feet on the floor, her palms braced on the edge of the mattress. 'And what's that supposed to mean?'<br>'It means _I'm_ not the one who ran away earlier this afternoon.'  
>'<em>I'm<em> the one trying to protect _you_.'  
>'And protecting <em>me<em> is coming to the home I share with _my boyfriend_?' Rachel squealed.  
>'Look where you are right now. You're in the home I share with my roommate.'<br>Rachel rolled her eyes. 'She already knew about…this.'  
>Quinn lied. 'Brittany doesn't.'<br>'Who's Brittany?'  
>'My other roommate.'<br>Rachel's face dropped. 'You have…'  
>Quinn nodded cutting her off. 'Yeah. What if she walked in right now? It wouldn't matter if Santana walked in; she already knows something happened that night in Lima.'<p>

Exasperated, Rachel covered her face with her hands, rubbing at her forehead with the tips of her fingers and gave a deep sigh. Quinn approached her quietly. She looked down at the tanned fingers. 'It doesn't matter. It'll be okay.'  
>Wound too tightly, Rachel lashed out and slapped Quinn hard across the cheek, the harsh sound filling the room. She opened her eyes and looked up; sparks flickered within those hazel orbs staring down, watching her. The small brunette found it increasingly hard to breathe, her short breaths making her chest heave.<p>

The taller blonde finally clashed their mouths together again roughly, her hands snapping into place at the small brunette hips in front of her. Quinn whirled them both around; crashing Rachel's lower back into her desk with her left hand, while her right hand swept the surface of the papers and books that had previously sat upon it. Pale fingers grabbed behind small knees and forced Rachel to sit on top of the desk as a pale pink mouth nipped and tugged at the olive skinned neck as Rachel's head hit the sky blue painted concrete wall behind her with a resounding _thump_.

Rachel let out a breathy moan followed by a hissing sound as Quinn gave an animalistic snarl when she reached under the pink jumper and ran her nails down the toned abdomen in front of her, digging into the skin. Rachel angled her chin down and the blonde bit sharply at her bottom lip and ran her tongue across it. She grabbed the bottom of Rachel's jumper in her tightly coiled fists.  
>'This.' The blonde motioned by tugging harshly at the material. 'Off. <em>Now<em>.' She growled into Rachel's ear.

In one quick motion the jumper in question was removed, leaving Rachel to latch onto those commanding lips in front of her. Rachel's moan was swallowed when the blonde pushed her tongue against the brunette's before she reached down and popped the button open on Rachel's jeans. She slid the golden zip down and didn't even bother with the black underwear she found underneath. Her pale thumb traced the line of skin down from just under the tanned girl's navel to the hemline of her underwear. Without another motion, she roughly slid her other fingers into the brunette's underwear, making her small hips rock forward as a slender index and middle finger ran against the gasping woman's core.

Quinn left little red bite marks down Rachel's heaving chest before nibbling at the skin just below the smaller woman's right boob. She licked a warm circle up the tantalizing skin then around a dark pink nipple just before she moved her thumb into warm underwear and pinched hard at the pulsing clit she found there. Rachel's entire upper body jerked forward, allowing Quinn to take the nipple into her mouth. She felt the skin quiver in her mouth as she scraped the surface with her teeth. Moans tumbled from between that beautiful pink pout struggling for breath above her.

Not satisfied with the resistance from the rubbing against the back of her knuckles, Quinn withdrew her hand, much to a disappointed Rachel's pitchy whine. Too involved to drag out any torture, Quinn reached behind Rachel's ass and pulled her jeans down when the brunettes hips rocked upwards, understanding what the blonde needed. She peeled the dark material down long toned stunning legs and finally tugged them off the diva's ankles.

Dropping to her knees, Quinn scraped her nails against the underside of tanned thighs and gripped hard behind the small woman's knees and pulled the body towards her. With a squeal, Rachel's back hit the surface of the desk and Quinn threw soft knees over each of her shoulders. She then gripped the black underwear between her fists and tore the underwear from around those smooth hips. Rachel yelped breathlessly, reaching a hand down to pull at the hair at the crown of Quinn's head, while her back rose off the desk in desperation. Quinn lowered her face and chuckled, her breath skimming against Rachel's hard clit and the girl in front of her gasped in pleasure. Small fingers pulled at blonde hair as Quinn's mouth ducked and a warm tongue met a slick entrance.

She ran her dark pink tongue up Rachel's centre, dipping the tip slightly inside the writhing woman as she pulled up to the hard clit again and again. Quinn left small licks, bites and nibbles against the hardening bud, sucking it between her lips every time. She could sense the diva was close by the unintelligible words and random noises slipping out of the brunette's throat.

Quinn pulled her mouth away and stood, pulling at Rachel's right thigh spreading her, so she could stand between her legs. She ran her left palm up the tanned panting body laid out in front of her, dark brown eyes burning straight into her. She ran the palm behind her neck and curled dark hair around her fist. She tugged sharply, bringing the brunette up and crashed their mouths together once more. Little nails tugged and scraped against the back of her pale neck as her right hand made its way back down to between those tanned legs. She flicked harshly with her right index finger against her hard clit, but before Rachel could gasp, Quinn thrust three fingers hard inside the singing sensation and scissored her fingers, occasionally curling them one by one, just before she'd pull out and repeat the rhythm over and over. Rachel was rapidly falling apart, her hips moving to meet Quinn's nimble fingers thrust for thrust.

Just like a button for Rachel's release, Quinn pressed down with her thumb again against Rachel's painfully hard clit. The brunette wailed out Quinn's name which the blonde swallowed with her own mouth, so no one would hear their secret tryst. Fire ripped through Rachel's veins making her shake against Quinn's pale mouth and a small hand shot to the back of blonde hair gripping it tightly. She panted breathlessly against Quinn's partially opened mouth.

She grinned. 'Good?'  
>'<em>Ohmygod.<em>' The brunette breathlessly replied.  
>Quinn nodded with a smirk. 'Yeah. You're right. We shouldn't be doing this.'<p> 


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: I was reading back through the chapters for this story, and I realised I made the rookie mistake of completely mixing up the second chapter. (I gave you chapter 2 of my other story Collide instead of Place Your Bets) I have re-uploaded the second chapter – how it's meant to be! No wonder some of you got confused. So you don't get confused with this chapter, please go back and read chapter 2 – the rest of the story stays the same! **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13: Everything Could Change Like That<strong>

Rain hit the window in harsh pinpricks. Rachel unhooked her jacket from the back of the door and slipped it back on. Quinn was watching her from the bed, and the words slipped out before she could catch them. 'You can't go.' Rachel turned to look at the blonde, a little shocked at herself. 'I mean…' she stuttered slightly. '…Look at the rain!'  
>Rachel smiled at her, tugging her zip up. 'It was raining when I came over here. I'll be fine Quinn.' She reached for the silver door handle.<br>Quinn stood suddenly and pulled on a pair of grey sweats from her floor, standing behind the smaller brunette. 'What if I said…' she stopped herself.  
>Rachel turned fully around to face Quinn and looked up at her expectantly. Quinn avoided her gaze. 'Quinn…?'<br>The blonde swallowed her senses in one big gulp. '_What if I said I didn't want you to go_?' She rushed out without a breath.  
>Rachel smiled up at her softly. She leaned up and touched her lips against the pale skin of Quinn's right cheek in a gentle kiss, then smoothed a small thumb over the same spot.<br>She gave an almost dreamy sigh, keeping her hand over the side of Quinn's jaw. 'I can't Quinn…I have to go, you know that.'  
>Quinn looked down with a small smile, as if to recover herself. She adjusted her gaze back onto the small singer. '…But we had fun, right…?'<br>Rachel giggled softly, showing off her perfect white teeth between those pouty lips. 'Yeah,' she nodded. 'Yeah, we did.'  
>She removed her hand from Quinn's face and without another word from either of them, left the room and closed the light wood door behind her.<p>

She was met by the sight of a tall blonde, taller than Quinn anyway, looking with a puzzled expression into the freezer. She had long damp blonde hair cascading down her back, wearing navy Yale sweats and a white tank top. She turned, slightly startled by the sound of the shutting door. 'Oh, hello.' She smiled sweetly. 'I'm Brittany.'  
>'It's nice to meet you Brittany, I'm Rachel.'<br>Brittany's eyes gave a sparkle of recognition. 'That's cool, I've been wanting to meet you.'  
>'You have?'<br>Brittany nodded fishing a bag of fries out of the freezer. 'Yeah sure. You've totally got Quinn's attention.'  
>She smiled but replied a little unsurely. 'That's…good I guess.'<br>Brittany turned and pulled a rather large knife out of the drawer by her hip. She attempted to spear the bag with the knife, trying to open it. Rachel watched her attempts dubiously.  
>'Need some help there…?' She asked hesitantly.<br>Brittany looked back over her shoulder to Rachel and nodded bashfully. 'Yes please.'  
>Rachel smiled warmly at her entering the kitchen. She stood beside the much taller blonde and looked down at the knife. 'Do you have any scissors? I think they would be best.'<br>Brittany shrugged. 'Maybe in there…' she pointed to the drawer, now by Rachel's hip. 'I don't really cook, San normally does it. She says she doesn't want me to hurt myself.' Rachel nodded with a smile, retrieving the scissors. 'Have you met San?'  
>'Santana?' Rachel inwardly chuckled and nodded. 'Yeah I've met her. We had a little chat.' She snipped a corner off the frozen bag and slipped the scissors back into the drawer.<br>The blonde grinned appreciatively. 'Thank you.'  
>Rachel nodded back with a smile. 'No problem.' She backed away. 'I guess I should be…'<br>'San isn't a big meany underneath it all y'know…' she began, almost as if she didn't hear Rachel attempting to excuse herself. 'She likes to make people think she is. But she just cares, y'know? She's very protective. She cares a lot about Q, they're kinda the same.'  
>Rachel nodded appreciatively. 'You're all lucky to have each other.'<br>'I think she knows Q better than herself.' The oblivious blonde continued. 'I guess that's why she bet her. I think she just wanted to get Q to admit it. But y'know how stubborn she is…'  
>Rachel observed the tall blonde with a confused smile. 'She bet her…?'<p>

On the other side of her thin bedroom door, Quinn had heard Brittany and Rachel talking. She'd thought nothing of it, until she started to listen properly. She heard the word 'bet', and flung herself in a panic off the previous spot on her bed. Quinn's door was flung open, and she almost tripped in her haste to stop the conversation.  
>'Yeah.' Brittany nodded. 'San bet Q $1500 to…'<p>

'_Britt_!' Quinn glared at the other blonde.  
>Rachel turned her head slowly, her gaze falling hard on Quinn. Dark brown eyes flared, a fire beginning to burn deep within her. She tightened her jaw and raised it slightly, folding her arms.<br>'She bet you to _what_, _Q_…?' she spoke with a hint of venom.  
>Quinn knew she'd have to come clean. She couldn't lie to those eyes. 'I…'<br>'Don't even _think_ about lying to me Quinn.' The brunette spoke slowly.  
>She took a deep breath. 'It's true.' She sighed. 'Santana bet me $1500 to…to…'<br>'To _what_?' she growled.  
>Her chest tightened. '…She bet me to sleep with you…'<br>Rachel's eyes dropped and she just shook her head. She walked straight out of the dorm without another word, and hurried down the hallway until she got out onto the street in the rain. Quinn shot Brittany a scathing glance before slipping on a pair of old sneakers and took off after the brunette.

She ran down the street, her sneakers splashing through the puddles seeping in water through the old rips and holes making small squeaking sounds as she went. Her heart rattled against her ribs while she ran, blocking out the rain like needles hitting her face and body.

She found a small black hood standing by the bus stop, sodden with rain.  
>'<em>Rachel<em>!' She called over the sound of the rain bouncing off the pavement with relentless force. Rachel turned towards the voice, and then turned back around.  
>'Leave me alone Quinn!'<br>She got closer. 'Just let me talk to you. Let me explain…'  
>With that the small brunette span around to face her. The rain was making her normally perfect bangs stick to her forehead, and her red blotchy eyes gave away the fact she'd been crying. Quinn's breath caught in her throat at the sight.<br>'What is there to explain Quinn? It's pretty obvious what you wanted.' She laughed through a sigh. 'I was the one stupid enough to give you it. But I guess you're pretty used to getting what you wanted, aren't you Quinn? Well congratulations. You won your bet. Go collect your winnings, Santana must be coming back soon.'  
>'It wasn't like that.'<br>'Oh was it not? Oh well then, please enlighten me! Cause I can't think of any other excuses you can possibly come up with.'  
>'I took on the bet. I took it on because I wanted to prove to Santana that she wasn't always right…'<br>'It's just a game to you isn't it?' The brunette interrupted. 'It doesn't matter to you how I felt did it? It never did.' She wiped the raindrops away from her brow. 'Y'know, after that night in Lima, I thought it was just a stupid mistake and I dismissed it. And then you came to my apartment. I was beginning to think differently about you. When you just left, I didn't know what to think. About this…about…us. When I came to your dorm, I thought things had changed…I thought I was wrong about you. Maybe I wanted to_ believe_ I was wrong about you. But now I know I was right. You're still a little girl Quinn Fabray. You need to grow the hell up.'  
>'<em>Rachel<em>…' Quinn helplessly pleaded. The city bus approached them, washing away Quinn's hopes.  
>'Go home Quinn. This…' she motioned between them. '…Whatever <em>this<em> is…it's done.'

Without another look, Rachel boarded the bus, leaving Quinn to stand in the rain.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: Can You Help Me Unravel My Latest Mistake**

She made it back to the dorm and slammed the door. Brittany looked at her regretfully with Santana standing at her side.  
>'<em>How could you<em>?' she yelled stepping forward to get to the other blonde. Santana grabbed her by the upper arms to restrain her and pinned her against the adjacent wall. Quinn glared at Santana, struggling under her grasp. 'Let go of me Santana.' She growled, warning her.  
>'She said it was a mistake Q. I know you're all hopped up right now but I aint gonna let you touch her.'<br>'She fucking ruined _everything_! What the hell am I supposed to do now, huh?'  
>'We'll help you…' soothed the Latina still attached to her.<br>'Oh that's a good change of heart, thanks Santana,' she hissed sarcastically. 'When it was you who got me in this fucking mess in the first place!'  
>Her grip tightened around pale arms. 'Watch it Q.' she warned staring her down. 'You knew what you were getting into when you agreed to this.'<br>A small voice interrupted the struggle between the two girls.  
>'I have an idea…'<br>The two girls turned to stare at the blonde.

* * *

><p>She held the envelope in her pale hands, staring down at it. With a sharp intake of breath she pulled down the dark blue lid of the mailbox and slid the envelope inside.<br>Exhaling she shook her head. 'I can't believe we're doing this.'  
>A soft hand came to rest on her left shoulder. 'We'll get her back.'<br>A tanned hand rested on her right shoulder. 'This _will_ work, Q.'

* * *

><p>She stepped onto the bus, and looked out the driver's side window. She saw her sitting at the small square table for two. She quickly stepped off the bus before she was asked for the fare, and walked quickly across the chequered crossing. There was evidence she wasn't alone, a pair of sunglasses and a phone sat opposite her on the table – so she knew she'd have to make her point, and fast. She slotted herself into the empty wooden seat. The brunette looked up from the cardboard sleeve on her cup.<br>'Santana…' her voice trailed off.  
>'I'm not staying okay? Look I know what we did was wrong, it was stupid. I know.' She sighed. 'I aint the best at these apology things, a'ight? Just don't…the whole thing was my idea. Don't punish Quinn for something stupid I decided to do. She's a good chick. She cares.'<br>Rachel scoffed. 'If she really cares that much she would have told me about the whole thing way before now.'  
>'If it helps, she never told me anything happened between you both.'<br>Rachel looked around them subtly and lowered her voice. 'Keep your voice down Santana.' She hissed. 'And how is that supposed to _help_ me?'  
>'She tried to quit the bet a few times, I just kept pushing her. She cares about herself; she just cares about you more.'<br>Rachel stopped fidgeting, and looked straight at her. 'She tried to quit…?'  
>Santana nodded sincerely. 'A couple times.' She replied gently. She straightened up and shrugged, immediately snapping back into her normal mode. 'Whatever,' she spoke sharply, louder again. 'At least now you know the truth.<br>Noah appeared back at the table. 'Oh we have a visitor…?' He smiled at Santana.  
>She stood quickly. 'I was just going.' She quickly gave a half-smile to Rachel. 'See you round Ms Berry.'<p>

She smiled to herself walking away as she could still hear their voices.  
>Noah sat back into his previously occupied chair. 'Who was that?'<br>Rachel sighed and went back to playing with the cardboard sleeve. 'Just…a friend.'

* * *

><p>She sat at the breakfast bar and ripped her slice of toast (wholegrain, of course) in two. As she began chewing on one half, Noah came through the door flicking through a few white envelopes. Raising his eyes, he smiled. 'Morning babe, you've got mail.' He tossed a white envelope onto the counter in front of her plate on his way to the refrigerator. She saw the printed lettering on the front, so she knew it couldn't have been from any of her family in New York. She turned it over and slid her forefinger under the seal, ripping the envelope open while balancing the toast between her front teeth. Her eyes slid over the professional letterhead and down to the content of the letter.<p>

_Dear Ms R. Berry, _

_We are writing to you in conjunction with an upcoming project. We understand via communications with your agent that you are currently lending your talents to students at Yale University in New Haven. We also understand that the current year is coming to an end, with your students graduating. We are writing to you to enquire about your commitments once the semester has come to an end, as we would like to encourage you to audition for the starring role in our upcoming project – Fanny Brice in a production of Funny Girl. The musical will be staged at The Broadway Theatre, and we have been assured of your previous experience of Broadway, making you our first choice for the role._

_We strongly urge you to consider this opportunity, and your agent has my contact details._

_Yours, _

_Tina Cohen-Chang_

_Casting Director  
>The Shubert Organization<em>

Her eyes raced over the words, barely believing what she was reading. At the words _Funny Girl_ and _first choice_ her jaw went slack, tears beginning to sting her eyes. Noah looked over to her worried at her frozen posture. 'Baby? You okay…?'  
>She turned around on the stool and looked up into his dark concerned eyes. She laughed sniffing back tears, her hands trembling clutching onto the thin white piece of paper.<br>She nodded grinning. 'They want me back on Broadway! The Shubert Organization wants _me_!' She squealed in delight, gripping the paper to her chest.  
>Noah beamed. 'Baby that's <em>great<em>!' He pulled her into a hug and kissed her lips softly.

He rested his jaw on the top of her dark hair, and when he knew she couldn't see his expression, his smile quickly fell.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: My Hands Are Shaking**

He held the door open for her as she crossed the threshold. 'Miss Berry, what a lovely surprise, do come on in.' He closed the heavy glass and oak door behind her as she stepped into the room. 'Go on and take a seat.' He smiled at her warmly.

She took a seat in the coffee coloured armchair as he made his way back around his desk, settling once more into his large leather desk chair. 'So what do I owe this honour?'  
>She smiled at him and held out the folded piece of paper to him. 'Oh no honour.' She chuckled. 'I'm pleased with the progress of my graduating class, and as I feel that I have fulfilled my role here at Yale, I would like to officially hand in my resignation – which I would like to become effective on the current class' graduation day.'<br>His dark eyes rolled over the text on the page. A smile crept across his face, before he raised his eyes to hers again. 'So they want you back on Broadway?'  
>She smiled and nodded. 'Yes sir.'<br>'And I'm guessing that your new project will be starting after graduation?'  
>'Officially it will be yes, but I would like to take a month or two to prepare myself for the role – to justify the role as it were.'<br>He nodded understandably. 'Oh of course yes. And we can't convince you to stay…?'

An odd sensation crept steadily up her spine, over her shoulders, up her neck and began to swirl inside her head. She felt soft fingertips trace the goosebumps travelling up her forearms. She felt warm breath graze the skin over her carotid artery. Hands moved down, long slender fingers intertwined with hers, and she felt them pulled behind her back. She felt her wrists being pressed together, surrounded by a single hand. Teeth tugged sharply on her earlobe. Looking down, a pale right hand came into sight, snaking around her hipbone. Nails lightly pulled on the skin. Her head dropped against the taller shoulder behind her. She turned her face towards the pale neck and looked up. She saw burning hazel eyes.

'Miss Berry…?' The low voice snapped her out of her daydream.  
>She shook her head and coughed sharply, re-focusing her attention. 'I'm sorry…?'<br>He smiled patiently. 'Is there any way we could convince you to stay?'  
>'Oh,' she shook her head abruptly. 'No, I'm afraid not. I've considered my options, and I think it's time for me to head back to Broadway.'<br>He nodded. 'Very well Miss Berry. I can safely say that you will be missed among us here at Yale, and of course there's always an open invitation for you to come back here anytime.'  
>She smiled gratefully. 'Thank you very much sir, I may well be back if Broadway decides it's had enough of me!'<br>He laughed. 'I'm sure that will never be the case.'

They both stood, him walking her to the door. He shook her hand firmly. 'Thank you for assisting us this year, Miss Berry. Please do keep in touch.'  
>She smiled warmly. 'I would love to sir.'<br>He lightly squeezed her arm, and then she left his office feeling a little lighter she had that off her chest. And then she remembered what needed to be done next, and suddenly she didn't feel so light anymore.

* * *

><p>Sliding her key out of the lock and tossing it onto the coffee table, she shrugged off her black blazer and shut the door before dropping her coat and bag onto the couch. A feeling like a deflated balloon lined her stomach as she looked around the apartment.<br>'Noah…?' She called out towards the bedroom. 'Babe you here…?'  
>She followed the sound of a muffled voice in the direction of the bedroom and pushed open the white bedroom door to find Noah sitting on the bed in just a pair of jeans, absently plucking at the strings on his guitar. He looked up at her coming through the door; his dark eyes tinged a stinging red. 'Hey baby.' She sat down near the bottom of the bed and he stopped plucking. He took one look at her and looked down at the fretboard across his lap. 'You've made your decision haven't you?'<br>She suddenly found something about her navy blue nail varnish so captivating. 'Yeah, I have.' She answered in a small voice. She looked back across to him, still staring down at the fretboard. 'I'm…' she sighed heavily. 'I'm going back to Broadway Noah.'  
>'So that's it…? This…<em>us<em>, just doesn't matter anymore…?' he finally looked back to her.

She shifted herself further towards him sat against the headboard and reached for his guitar. She managed to pull it away from under his grasp, like taking a toy away from a baby. She set it carefully back down onto the black stand next to his side of the bed, and took his hands in hers, so he couldn't get distracted.  
>'Noah <em>of course<em> what we are matters to me. You're _so_ special to me…' she squeezed his strong fingers for emphasis. 'But this is my life, baby. You gotta understand that. This is _Broadway_, baby. You know how much of a big deal that is to me.'  
>He nodded. 'I know.' He muttered in agreement, his voice reduced to a whisper. His eyes looked deep into hers. 'I know you want to go. I know this is important to you. Hell, I <em>knew<em> you were going as soon as you got that letter. And I really wish I could come with you, and try to make this work…' He sighed shaking his head. 'But I can't. You've gotta be there, and I've gotta be here.' He squeezed her fingers lightly. 'But I have to know in my heart that I at least tried to fight for you…y'know…' he attempted a half smile. 'For my ego…'  
>She felt tears sting at the back of her eyes when she chuckled. 'Y'know, just because we can't be together right now, doesn't mean we can't be somewhere down the road.'<p>

He nodded taking in her words. He raised their hands up to his lips, and she felt the soft skin of his mouth brush against the backs of her fingers in a kiss as he closed his eyes. She pulled her hands away from his and he opened his eyes regretfully. She searched his sad eyes for a moment, before moving herself into his lap. While smoothing one small hand over his black mohawk, she traced under his eyes with the pad of her thumb of her other hand, soothing the red skin. He gently wrapped his hands around each of her wrists, pulling her hands away from him, making her look directly into his eyes.

He rolled his hips upwards, making her slide onto her back in front of him against the bed. She looped a small forefinger through one of his belt loops, bringing him over her. Removing her white tee, mouths melded together, their touch so familiar and comforting to each other. Hands wandered all over skin as clothes were removed and warm mouths found purchase on new patches of trembling skin. Her fingers gripped onto his mohawk as his fingers pulled down her shorts, followed by her underwear. Lightly tanned ankles wrapped around the base of his spine as he slid gently into her, earning him a breathy whine. He stilled for a moment, until he felt nails graze the bottom of his right shoulder blade. Their pace picked up until the only audible noises were whines and moans. Every thrust of his hips met with a roll of hers, making her back arch and his brow furrow in concentration. Her moans grew louder, and his grunts grew deeper in a harmony with each other. She felt a rising pressure fill her chest and her throat as she felt the fire burn fiercely deep within her lower abdomen. Their skin slid against each other, perspiring lightly from exertion. With a few more sharp thrusts and nails in skin at _just_ the right angle, they both came apart around each other. Rachel felt the rising pressure finally burst and tears began to cascade down her cheeks as he held her still trembling body close.

* * *

><p>She exhaled, hoping their little plan had paid off. Two other pairs of eyes stared down at the envelope as she slid out the folded up piece of paper. She looked at her two best friends, and they all held their breath as she read aloud, revealing the content of the letter.<p>

_Dear Ms L. Q. Fabray, _

_We are writing in response to your previous letter. We are saddened to hear that you will not be taking up our offer to audition for the role of Fanny Brice in our production of Funny Girl, but we appreciate your nomination of Ms R. Berry for the role. We have since investigated Ms Berry's previous professional achievements, and have decided to take your advice, and have contacted her, encouraging her to audition for the role in your place. As per your request, she is not aware that we have contacted you in regards to this matter. _

_We wish you luck in your future endeavours, and hopefully will be able to work with you in the near future. _

_Yours, _

_Tina Cohen-Chang_

_Casting Director  
>The Shubert Organisation<em>

They all heaved a sigh of relief in unison. Brittany grinned and Santana squealed laughing. 'Britt your idea worked!' she embraced the taller blonde in a tight bear hug and kissed her temple.  
>Quinn stopped. 'What if she doesn't take the role…?'<br>Santana scoffed. 'She'll take the role. She'd have to be an _idiot_ not to take…' she stopped herself when she realised what she'd said.  
>Quinn nodded. 'No it's okay, I know. But she deserves this more, she'll be <em>so<em> good. It'll be like a dream for her...'  
>Santana stood between the two blondes, her arms wrapped around each shoulder. 'Then we just need to have faith that she'll come to her senses.' She looked at them both and smiled. 'Roll on graduation!'<p> 


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Hey guys, thank you so much for all your amazing reviews and support – I love seeing how you've reacted to what I've put you all through! I think this chapter will be the end of the road for our favourite blonde and our little brunette and I think it's time to see how it plays out. Just to warn you all in case you get confused – this chapter jumps around quite a bit between puckleberry, the unholy trinity and faberry but I've tried to make that pretty clear. I hope you all enjoy it and thank you for sticking with me for the ride. Here we go!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 16: Wish Everybody Well<strong>

She straightened up his skinny dark navy tie for him when they were in the doorway as he pulled on his suit jacket. 'You ready?' He smiled at her.  
>She swept hair away from her dark eyes. 'Never.' She replied with a jokey tone.<br>She walked on ahead, leaving him to lock up. He watched her glide down the hall in her floor length silver gown and felt a tightening in his chest knowing that he couldn't be with her anymore. She turned when she sensed he wasn't following her. She smiled over to him. 'Come on, we don't want to be late do we?'  
>He laughed to himself when he checked his black leather-strapped watch. Even though she was dressed like a queen, she was still the same old punctual Rachel Berry. He smiled walking towards her and offered her his arm. 'No we don't.'<p>

* * *

><p>They made their way steadily down the gravel path, lined by thin vines snaking up around the white pillars and green shrubbery linked arm in arm.<br>Santana looked to both of her best friends. 'You ready for this?'  
>Quinn looked over to Brittany. 'I think as ready as we'll ever be.'<br>Santana nodded once with a smile. 'Okay then. Let's do this.'  
>Quinn pulled back the glass door, and they all made their way inside.<p>

Everything inside was dark blue and white – _of course it would be_, Quinn thought to herself _it's Yale after all_. An all white bar lined one wall, and large round dark blue furnished tables were organised at the other end of the hall. Various professors she vaguely recognised were dotted around the room, either talking to students or in little groups talking amongst themselves. Quinn's senses went into overdrive - she knew Rachel would be there, and she knew she'd be on edge until she located the little brunette. Waiters in dark blue and white uniforms carrying silver trays milled around the room offering around complimentary glasses of champagne – courtesy of the college. One slightly Mexican looking waiter made his way around to the three girls bunched by the doorway offering those drinks. Santana quickly grabbed three glasses for them between her fingers and nodded appreciatively.

She gave them to the two blondes and raised her own glass to her lips. 'Down these, something tells me we're gonna need to tonight.'  
>Brittany gave her an odd look but Quinn obliged quite happily, drinking hers quickly. The sharp taste of the cold golden liquid hit the back of Quinn's throat, stinging her senses slightly. She lowered the glass swallowing harshly. 'That tastes like…'<br>Santana coughed interrupting her, lowering her own glass. 'I'm gonna regret that decision later.'  
>Brittany leaned across twirling a piece of Santana's dark hair around a slender finger. 'Try not to pass out too early tonight San…' She winked with a cheeky glint in her eye.<br>Quinn rolled her eyes turning around. 'I'm going to the bar.'

* * *

><p>Noah took a drink from his beer bottle and slid his other hand subtly around Rachel's back looking near to the entrance. 'Hey isn't that your friend from the other day…?'<br>Rachel looked in the direction of his eye line and spotted Santana and Brittany. She tried to ignore the sinking feeling when she didn't see Quinn with them. She faked a smile turning back to Noah. 'Yeah, that's her.'  
>'Why don't you go say hi?'<br>She looked down into her champagne flute. 'She's with her girlfriend; I don't want to cramp her style!' she downed the rest of the golden liquid in the glass.  
>He chuckled shaking his head. 'You could never 'cramp her style'.' He saw her holding onto the empty glass. 'Another…?'<br>She shook her head picking up her silver bejewelled clutch from behind them on the table. She saw a few older music professors heading their way so she decided to take her moment to escape. 'It's okay, I'll get it.' She smiled. 'Excuse me.' She spoke politely when the approaching professors finally reached Noah.

* * *

><p>A chill rippled up her spine, the tiny hairs on the nape of her neck standing on end when she sensed that she was near. A small tan hand slid an empty glass flute onto the surface of the frosted glass bar. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a silver bejewelled clutch bag and she knew exactly who it belonged to.<p>

The bartender appeared in front of them, smiling politely. 'What can I get you ladies?'  
>Quinn cleared her throat. 'Vodka tonic.' She turned to the smaller brunette. 'Wine?'<br>Rachel just kept looking at the bartender, and returned his smile. 'White, please.' When the bartender disappeared to tend to their order, she swallowed before speaking softly - still not looking at Quinn.  
>'I'm still mad at you. But that doesn't mean I can't be cordial with you tonight.'<br>Quinn kept her voice down to almost a whisper. 'Meet me later.'  
>She shook her head dismissively. 'I can't…I won't.'<br>'You can't…or you won't…? Which one is it?'  
>She finally looked up into shattering hazel. 'Won't.' she replied firmly.<br>'Please just meet me for a few minutes. Or Santana even. There are things you need to know that one of us _needs_ to tell you.'  
>'I think Santana has spoken enough for the two of you.'<br>Blonde brows furrowed in confusion. 'She talked to you…?'  
>Rachel shook her head as she saw the bartender coming back towards them. 'Look, I don't want to talk about it, okay?'<p>

Before the blonde could respond Rachel had disappeared with her glass of wine in hand. Quinn paid for their drinks and kept a tight grip on her glass tumbler as she made her way back to Brittany and Santana. She looked quickly around them, to see everyone too absorbed in their own conversations to bother listening to the three girls talk.  
>'You talked to Rachel?' Quinn growled quietly.<br>Santana nodded. 'I was trying to make it right. It wasn't all your fault.'  
>'What did you tell her? Because she doesn't even wanna give me the time of day right now.'<br>A look of confusion briefly passed over Santana's dark features. 'I took the blame for the whole thing. I told her not to hold it against you, that you cared more about her than the whole stupid thing.'  
>'You told her I <em>cared?<em>' she tried not to screech. 'San what the _hell _did you do that for?'  
>'It's the truth isn't it? I thought that was the whole point of trying to get her to forgive you.'<br>'_She's with Noah_ San, we all know that. I want her to forgive me, but I don't wanna guilt trip her into it by letting her know I care about her! I just have to get her to listen to one of us, so she can know the truth.'  
>'Let me talk to her.' The Latina suggested.<br>'She doesn't wanna talk to either of us. She made that pretty clear.'  
>Santana's almost black eyes scanned the room from their vantage point. 'Okay, so she doesn't wanna talk. We're just gonna have to make her listen.'<br>Quinn eyed her ominously. 'What d'you mean San…?'

* * *

><p>She pulled him by the hand into the silent room. The spotlights glinted off the surface of the clear blue pool.<br>'Uh…Rach…what are we doing in here?' Noah asked looking around them.  
>'I just needed somewhere quiet to talk to you.'<br>She let go of his hand and he buried his hands into his trouser pockets. 'Is everything okay…? You've been really quiet tonight ever since you were talking to your friend at the bar…'

She set her clutch bag down onto the lifeguard's white wooden perch. She looked down at her left hand, and the ring that sat upon it. She began to slide it off but he covered her hand with his, stopping her.  
>'Keep it.' He spoke softly. 'It's yours now.'<br>'Noah…' she looked up into his deep eyes.  
>He shook his head, giving a small smile. 'Think of it as something to remember me by.'<br>She laughed lightly. 'I don't need a ring to remind me of you Noah.'  
>He took his hand away from hers still placed around the ring. 'You can take it off if you want, just don't…' he swallowed. '…Don't sell it or give it away or anything…yeah…?'<br>She touched his cheek. 'I'd never do that.' She leaned up and kissed his other cheek lightly. 'Thank you for understanding Noah.'  
>He laughed. 'Rachel Berry was born for Broadway.' He shrugged. 'Any idiot can see that.'<p>

He turned and began to walk back towards the entrance of the pool room. He half turned back. 'Hey Rach…?' A small face rose expectantly. He gave her one last look up and down.  
>'You've never looked more beautiful.'<p>

* * *

><p>He left the pool room, bumping into a familiar blonde in the entrance way. 'Oh hey, you're Rachel's friend…right?'<br>Quinn looked slightly nervous at him. 'Yeah, you seen her?'  
>He tilted his head towards the room behind them. 'She's in there. Hey, look after her, will you?'<br>She gave him a puzzled look but nodded. 'Yeah.'  
>He disappeared back into the dull noise of the ball still in full swing a few rooms away.<p>

* * *

><p>Quinn stepped carefully into the pool room. She looked to the left, to find the small brunette standing by the lifeguard perch dabbing at her eyes with the corner of a folded perfectly white tissue. The sight made her heart bob, and then sink. Feeling someone watching her, Rachel looked up to see Quinn standing in the entrance. Before she could speak, the blonde cut in.<p>

'I know you said you didn't want to talk…'  
>Rachel sighed heavily. 'Look Quinn, save whatever you have to say. I'm leaving Yale and New Haven after tonight is done, and there's nothing you can do or say to stop me.'<br>'I know.' She replied simply. Rachel gave her a quizzical look. 'I know you're leaving. I overheard some professors talking in the main hall. I heard you got your dream role on Broadway. I didn't come here to stop you, or convince you to stay.'  
>The brunette's shoulders dropped in defeat. 'Then what are you doing here Quinn.'<p>

Quinn began to steadily move towards the shorter woman. She took off her heels and set them down with her black clutch on the bench against the wall. 'I wanted to thank you.' She spoke as she took every step. 'I wanted to thank you for the way that you've helped not only me, but everyone this year. I wanted to thank you for not telling Noah about this.' She pointed between them both. 'And I wanted to thank you for giving Santana your time when she spoke to you. Even if you don't want to give me your time now. You're gonna be a knockout on Broadway. I'm _so_ happy for you that your dreams are coming true Rachel.' She stopped finally in front of the brunette. 'I know you didn't wanna talk, I just hoped you'd listen.'

Almost as if she didn't realise the blonde had been moving, Rachel blinked looking a little stunned that Quinn was now standing directly in front of her. She smiled at the visibly startled brunette.  
>'And you look…<em>amazing<em>, by the way.'  
>'You never told Santana…' she muttered in response.<br>'In the end, I couldn't.'  
>'Why?' she found herself asking, even though she already knew the answer.<br>The blonde shrugged. 'Isn't it obvious?'  
>'You care about me, don't you…?'<br>The blonde smiled, a little bashfully. 'You could say that.'

Deep brown burned into sparkling hazel and increasingly shallow breaths began to mingle. Quinn's eyes dropped as she saw a plump bottom lip disappear between teeth, and appear again a second later. Her eyes rose again to those expectant minstrel brown orbs. She wrapped two pale hands around the small waist planted in front of her, and in one swift motion they found themselves surrounded by cool clear water.

'_QUINN_!' The diva gave a high pitched squeal as she splashed around coughing. Quinn figured there was so much noise going on from the ball that no one would hear them. Rachel felt an arm wrap around her middle and her flailing body steadied. Quinn laughed hysterically and the brunette turned and splashed her. '_It's not funny Quinn!_' she scolded. 'Look at my dress! Not to mention _you could have killed me_! What if I couldn't _swim_ _Quinn_? What if I hit my head? _Huh_? What would you do then?'  
>The blonde interrupted by planting a kiss straight onto those irresistible glistening plump lips. She smiled pulling back at the quickly silenced brunette. '<em>That<em>.'

And then it felt as if they were the only two people in the world. Rachel touched her fingertips to her lips, still feeling the branding touch of Quinn. She focused back on the blonde and swam forward a little so she could wrap her arms around Quinn's neck. She lifted her weightless body and wrapped her legs around Quinn's waist as the blonde wrapped her arms around the back of the small woman's ribs. The bottom of Rachel's gown spread around them like a protective coat and nothing else mattered but the way it felt to have their hearts beat in time with each other.

Lightly wrinkled fingers worked slowly sliding the light grey zipper down the right side of olive-skinned petite ribs. Rachel withdrew her arms, but kept her legs firmly wrapped around the blonde keeping them adrift, slightly underneath her. She lifted the one shouldered strap over her head, and then pushed the now ruined gown down off her body. Small perky boobs became revealed and Quinn looked down with that infamous raised eyebrow.

'No bra, huh? You were waiting for this to happen, weren't you…?' the blonde teased.  
>The brunette giggled - a sound that made the blonde's stomach flip flop. 'Shut up.' she muttered in response. Quinn kept her eyes down as she saw Rachel wearing possibly the smallest pair of red panties she'd ever seen.<br>She rubbed her thumbs along the back of the material. 'Oh you were _so_ expecting this to happen…' Quinn smirked. She kept the brunette steady by wrapping one arm around the base of her back. With the other hand she moved wet brunette hair away from cool damp skin and left a trail of burning kisses over the right side of Rachel's neck, making her head fall back. She brought her right hand back down to wrap around small ribs while a cunning left hand curved around a perfectly formed ass and two fingertips smoothed against the smaller woman's core. A low moan rippled from the brunette that Quinn caught in her mouth, bringing their lips together. Small hands fisted into wet blonde hair as pale fingers explored and curled inside the small diva and teeth nipped at wet lips.

* * *

><p>Unaware of their presence, Brittany pulled Santana into the pool room looking for a private space of their own. Seeing Rachel wrapped around Quinn, Santana stopped still in the entrance and her eyes went wide. Brittany looked from Santana's wide eyes to the pool and gasped in delight.<br>'Hey San, they're swimming! Let's go swimming!' She giggled trying to pull her girlfriend forward.  
>Santana yanked firmly, making the taller blonde spring back. Brittany's eyebrows furrowed, giving her girlfriend a confused and innocent look. 'Don't you wanna go swimming San?'<br>Santana kept her voice to a whisper. 'They're not swimming B…'


End file.
